Torn
by o0MissBennet0o
Summary: They were separated by fear, but some things you just can't let go.
1. Separation

**A/N: I'm back, baby!!! And I miss posting!!! I finished my tests, so now I have more free time. This is something I have been working on for a little while, but just got around to write it. It's different kind of romance from my Christmas one, but I really really hope you like it!!! **

**Thanks to bertie for revising everything and for helping me develop the story line!!!**

**Lyrics are from Snow Patrol - "Set the fire to the third bar" - such beautiful song, and it fits perfectly with the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

_

* * *

_

I'm miles from where you are,  
I lay down on the cold ground  
And I, I pray that something picks me up  
And sets me down in your warm arms

_

* * *

_

**Cuba. ****Classified location.**

The heat was nearly choking her as Brennan made her way slowly into the bathroom, the door closing with a click behind her. Clicking the light on, she watched as it flickered a few times before giving up, and she let out a frustrated sigh.

As the sun was shining so brightly outside, she opened one side of the creaking wooden shutters, illuminating the dirty bathroom. Walking back, Brennan leaned over the sink, the pallor of her own face startling her as she stared at herself in the stained and broken mirror.

Overwhelmed by the events of the last hours, she felt her stomach beginning to turn, the first wave of nausea hitting her as she doubled over the toilet, throwing up the remains of a long ago consumed meal. When she was sure her stomach had settled, she pushed herself back up, small beads of sweat prickling her brow.

Moving back over to the sink, she quickly rinsed her mouth out with water from a crinkled plastic bottle before spitting it into the sink and repeating the process three more times. Only when the bitter taste left her tongue did she allow herself to stop.

Imitating her actions from minutes ago, she leaned over the sink, watching as a drop of sweat made its way down her fevered forehead, and wanting nothing more than to cool her body down. Part of her wanted to simply drop to the floor and sleep, but the idea of falling onto the dirty tiles of the bathroom repulsed her, so she kept herself up, standing on trembling legs.

As the wind blew into the room through the half-open window, she felt her back aching a little more and her skin burning against the soft cotton of her dress. Hissing in pain, she stripped herself of her clothes, piling them on the closed toilet as she turned the shower on. The first drops of water began to fall as she stretched her hand under the spray, sighing softly as the cool droplets caressed her skin.

Gingerly, she reached behind her and unhooked her bra, careful not to touch the skin under the white lace. Turning her back to the mirror, her heart sank as she followed the path of the light bruises and red burns standing out on her pale skin. Pushing her panties off her legs, she tried to erase the last events from her mind as she stepped inside the tub, sinking to the floor as her legs gave way.

Hugging her knees close to her chest, she closed her eyes as the cold water hit her back, each drop cleansing her of a little more fear. The fever would go down on its own, and the bruises would heal eventually. But the consequences were far from over. She not only knew, but was painfully aware, that it had only begun.

Temperance lifted her head at the feel of the water running down her face, blurring her vision and mixing with the warm tears in a path down her cheeks. As irrational and impossible as it was, she wanted to go back to a time when everything felt right, a time when she could still see his eyes and his warm smile.

"Booth…"

His name fell from her lips like a plea, a prayer for the days when she had his comforting smile and touch to get her through the rough times of death and despair. Now, he seemed like a memory or a dream, a vague illusion constructed well enough to deceive her craving heart.

She was alone now, and painfully aware that her knight in FBI shining armor wasn't about to sweep in to save the day. She had to either get herself out of this on her own or perish in this god-forsaken place, so far away from home.

The wind picked up outside, blowing through the window, and goosebumps rose along her spine at the light breeze. She had to leave this room eventually, she knew that. But she preferred to remain sheltered in the dirty bathroom for now, away from work, away from the world and away from_ him_.

He'd left a little while ago, just before she entered the bathroom. She never asked where he was going, knowing an answer would come just as coldly as it always did. He left in his usual manner, with a curt nod and a flash of the gun on his hip. She'd learned to keep her mouth shut for the first time in her life, burning the back of his skull with a glare as he closed the door behind him, locking it from outside.

Stretching her legs out, she lay back in the tub, being careful not to put pressure on any of her wounds. Luckily, she didn't need any medical assistance, and hopefully they would heal fast. Tilting her head up, she sighed as the water ran between her breasts, over her stomach and down between her thighs.

Closing her eyes, she let the water wash over her relentlessly, the gentle touch on her skin taking her back to the last night she'd spent with her partner instead of _him_. It was a difficult memory, since there were so many conflicting emotions during that night that she'd felt overwhelmed by them.

Behind her eyelids, Brennan saw Booth's smile, felt his hands against her bruised and injured skin as he whispered something in her ear. She couldn't make out the words, but the soft brush of his warm breath against her ear was all she needed for comfort.

And so she let herself get lost in the dream that maybe everything could still be okay. Placing her open palm over her heart, she let the steady beat carry her back to Booth, back to his warm embrace. She wanted to feel his skin under her fingers again, feel his hands on her body as he kissed her. She could almost feel him there next to her in some dismal bathroom in Cuba.

That was until there was a hard knock on the bathroom door. _He_ was back.

_**

* * *

Washington DC. Jeffersonian Medico-Legal lab. **__**Six months earlier.**_

_They were fighting as usual__ in her office, about a subject Brennan couldn't even remember. She said something harsh and watched Booth's eyes flash dangerously as she turned her back to him, intent on walking out. She had no time to react when she felt him spin her around, her back meeting the wall with a muffled thud. Her protests were silenced as his lips claimed hers in a fury, his hard body pressed against hers, pinning her between himself and the wall._

_She returned the kiss with equal ferocity, pulling him hard against her with strength forged by years of restraint. __His lips were persistent as he kissed her, his hands moving down over her waist, her hips, her thighs, as though mapping the unchartered territory of her body and claiming it for his own. She arched her body under his possessive touch, the feel of him pressing against her thigh marking him as hers in just the same way. She let out a small moan of encouragement at the sensation and Booth took this opportunity to let his tongue enter her mouth, tasting her with a hunger he knew would be insatiable._

_In the back of their minds, they knew they should stop. This was wrong on so many levels, but it felt so right to be so close, having a taste of each other even as they craved so much more. He wanted to give her everything he was, and she never wanted to turn down anything he offered. Her hands gripped his tee shirt tightly, holding onto him like a lifeline as he explored her mouth with his tongue. _

_Greedy for more, his lips moved to her neck, kissing firmly and nipping at the sensitive skin beneath her ear, while her hands gripped his__ behind, pulling him even harder against her, with the friction on her sensitive nerves causing a throaty moan to escape her lips as her head leaned back, colliding with the wall. The very slight pain at the back of her head seemed to act as some kind of awakening, and she pushed him away from her, a panicked expression on her face. _

_He was taken aback as he felt her soft hands on his chest, pushing his body back from hers. It took mere seconds to comprehend what had transpired between them and that they had crossed the line he was so careful to draw. _

_Backing away w__ith her hand over her mouth, Brennan could still feel his taste on her tongue. As good as it felt, there was a warning flashing red in her head, telling her that this was wrong._

"_I have to go," she said quickly, taking her coat in one hand as she tried to make a quick escape, knowing that the only way to regain the control she so desperately needed was to get away from his gaze, his scent, and everything else that made him Booth. But she had no luck as he gripped her arms to stop her from running._

"_Bones, wait," he pleaded, turning her to him as he searched her eyes. "We need to talk about this."_

"_There's nothing to talk about. It was just a kiss, that's all," she said firmly, her tone more confident than she felt. "It won't happen again."_

"_You're saying you felt nothing?" he asked, his eyes burning into hers, daring her to lie to him and say that their kiss hadn't affected her._

"_Arousal is only normal in a situation like that. Arguing releases adrenaline, which in turn can inflame libido and increase arousal. It was the effect of hormones, nothing more," she said, turning her eyes from his as she shrugged his hands from her arms._

"_So that's it? There's no emotion involved? You'll just shrug this off?" he asked, anger tingeing his words. She looked at him again, her mind searching for an answer as she tried hard to convince herself that her heart wasn't in the equation._

"_Don't do this," she said with as much authority as she could muster, desperate for some safe ground to hold on to. _

_His eyes softened __as he gazed at her, and taking one uncertain step forward, he held her arms with both his hands, his thumbs brushing her skin softly. "Then don't do this to me," he said quietly, almost begging, but closed his eyes as she stepped out of his reach._

"_I'm leaving tomorrow, Booth. I had this trip planned for months," she said, folding her arms over her chest, in a defensive rather than confrontational stance. _

"_You can't run from me like this, Bones," he said hopefully, taking a step forward as she took another step back._

"_I'm not running," she said calmly, "I had this trip planned, and I'm not changing my mind because of hormones."_

_He just stared at her for few seconds, tempted to push her against the wall and change her mind with his kisses, but was unable to even consider hurting her. She was scared, he knew that, but what else could he do? There was no forcing her to do something she didn't want to do, and this wasn't the way he'd wanted everything to happen._

"_Fine, I won't stop you." With one final look, he turned and left her office, not bothering to look back as he strode off with a purpose. To let her go. _

_She watched him go, every step he took adding weight to her heart. There was no going back in her decision, but she still felt the sting of tears burning her eyes. With a last look at his retreating form she sighed, trying to forget the feel of his warm body pressed against hers and convince herself she'd made the right choice. _

_T__he next day, she couldn't help but glance back over her shoulder as she walked through the airport, half expecting him to be there._

_But he wasn't. She was free to leave, and he wasn't there to stop her. One part of her was relieved, reminding herself that it was for the best, but the other, despite all her logic and protests of independence, wanted nothing more than to have him by her side. Logic won out in his absence though, and she boarded the plane, leaving behind Booth and a part of herself that she would never admit existed._

**

* * *

Washington DC. Booth's apartment.**

The last dregs of his beer finished a long time ago, Booth kicked the bottle away from him as he slumped back on the couch, reaching for the television remote in an attempt to alleviate the boredom which was starting to take over.

One by one, he watched as the channels passed: a football game, a soap opera, a detergent commercial, several movies. Nothing was able to hold his attention. Until he reached the Discovery Channel.

On days like these, when he found himself alone at night in his apartment, Booth somehow took comfort in watching the Discovery Channel in particular. He could close his eyes and listen to all the complex words he'd never heard before, and it was like she was back, saying all those smart things that confused him.

Today was no different, with his schedule for the night consisting of nursing several beers before falling asleep on the couch. He wanted Brennan out of his mind, out of his heart, but she still had a strong hold over him. Over the last six months, he'd slowly started to let her go, but during the nights, she rarely left his mind.

"Bones…"

The nickname felt foreign to his tongue now, as it had been so long since he'd last used it. It was painful to pronounce, the remainder of a time when he stupidly believed in the possibility of a happily-ever-after.

There was no denying that he missed her. Terribly. But he hadn't seen her in six months, and the only news he had of her came from the short weekly e-mails she sent to Angela. One minute she was there, the next she was gone. And he could never forgive himself for not trying harder.

Sighing, he turned the TV off, needing a quiet evening with hopefully Bones-free dreams. He had to erase her from his mind if he wanted any chance of having a normal successful relationship. And right now, he wasn't willing to screw up. Not like before. _She_ was perfect for him.

A week after Brennan left, he met her. He wasn't interested in starting a relationship, but she caught him by surprise that day. Sweet, funny, beautiful; she was everything a guy could ask for. But still, there were moments when he would catch himself wishing that her eyes weren't quite so brown, and her hair was the one specific shade of auburn.

They had been together for just under six months, their relationship marking the fact he'd decided to move on. She was good to him, and he felt happy with her. Their relationship was steady and smooth, never having a crisis to solve other than a small tussle for the blankets.

She was perfect in everything she did and sweet as a summer flower. But he always had the feeling that something was missing. Somehow, he missed fighting and bickering, he missed the intensity he'd felt in the past. But he couldn't dwell it, especially not when Brennan had been the one who decided to walk out of _his_ life.

Turning over on the couch, he tried to surrender to sleep, but behind his eyelids he couldn't help but see her face, the teasing smile and kind eyes that haunted his dreams. He could almost feel her soft ivory skin under his fingertips, her scent washing over him just as when they were pressed against the wall.

Lying back comfortably on the leather couch, he rested his hand over his heart, and with a guilty sigh, he realized his heart was beating faster inside his chest at the thought of her lips and body against his. He knew that it was wrong, but thinking about her was beyond his control.

Giving in to his cravings, he wished for her kisses, for her sweet touch. He wanted to be confused by her intelligence and touched by her kindness and understanding. He wanted to fight, to argue and to yell at the top of his lungs, and bicker about guns and cars. But that was gone, and he only had the memories to keep him company now.

Even so, as he lay on his couch waiting for sleep to come, he let himself go to Brennan, wherever she was, picturing her and hearing her familiar voice as she gazed at him with those gorgeous eyes. And for a few seconds, he could've sworn he could feel her next to him.

That was until there was a soft knock on his door. _She_ was back.

* * *

**So, what do you think? I'll try to work on the next chapter as soon as I can, so go right ahead and leave a review!!!**


	2. Return

**A/N: Hello again, people. So here is the new chapter. It's smaller than my usual chapters, but I put everything I felt necessary in it. I promise the next one will be larger. Also, I'm trying to find time to reply to review, but I don't think it'll be possible since I'm using all my free time to write the chapters, so to everyone who left a review, know that I really apreciated and they made me write this faster!!!**

**Thanks to bertie for revising all the work and for helping me so much!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.

* * *

**

Cuba. Classified location. 

The banging on her door continued until she gave up all hope of him simply leaving at her lack of answer. Sighing, Brennan stood up on her trembling legs, wrapping her body in the stained white towel next to the tub.

Taking uncertain steps towards the door, she carefully pressed her ear against the wood, trying to catch a rustle of movement in the other room. She could make out his heavy footsteps outside, pacing in front of the door, and considered staying quiet until he left, but she knew that he wouldn't leave. Not before she'd come out to face him.

"Open the door." Hearing his firm command penetrate the thin wood of the door, she reached for the doorknob with a deep breath, knowing that, eventually, he would just kick the door down if he had to.

The first thing she noticed when she opened the door was his face. As always, his face was badly shaved, just as it had been the day she met him, but his eyes were darker today, his gaze dangerously focused on her face. Her lips tightened as she saw his eyes travel down her body, still covered by the towel as her bare legs dripped down the wooden floor.

Moving over to the far side of the room to create distance between herself and him, she noticed her two suitcases lying open on her bed. Turning around to face him, she almost jumped when she found him close behind her, and tried to remain composed as she challenged his stance.

"What's going on, Matt?" she asked calmly, gripping her towel with tight white knuckles as his eyes flickered over the visible marks on her body.

"You're leaving," he said simply, taking his gun from his hip holster and placing it on the nightstand, the metal glinting ominously in the sunlight.

"What are you talking about?" Brennan questioned nervously.

With his usual scoff and shake of the head, he turned his back to her, ignoring her question as he always did. "Just pack your stuff, Temperance," he instructed, delving into a drawer and throwing a handful of her underwear onto the bed.

Narrowing her eyes, she pointedly moved her panties back to the drawer before turning to face him. "I'm not packing until you tell me why," she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she lifted her chin in defiance. Most men would've backed down under her stare, but she doubted whether Matt had ever been remotely afraid of her.

With a cold gleam in his eye, he placed a large hand on her shoulder, and she flinched as his fingers brushed a bruise on her shoulder. Leaning close towards hers, he spoke softly in her ear, "Do I need to remind you what will happen if you don't listen to me?"

Shrugging away from his touch she glared at him, moving the towel higher to cover her wounds and fighting all her instincts to break the hand resting on her shoulder. "Fine," she spat, willing to say anything to make him leave.

Walking past him, she locked herself in the bathroom again, leaning against the door as he called from outside. "You better be packed when I get back; you're going back to the US," he said, and the last sound she heard was the loud bang of the door slamming behind him as he left again.

When she knew she was alone, the rage inside her boiled up, breaking the surface as she fought the urge to scream out loud. Deciding to yield to violence rather than volume, she grabbed the metal trash can in annoyance, swinging it into the mirror facing her. It impacted against the already cracked pane, shattering it and sending glittering shards cascading into the sink with a clatter.

Giving in to her tears silently running down her cheeks, Brennan forgot all about the repulsive state of the bathroom floor. Sliding down the wall, she let her body drop to the ground, sobs shaking her slim frame as she loosened her grip on the towel still wrapped around her body. The floor felt frozen against her bare legs but she didn't care, couldn't care as she tried hard to find some form of stability.

In the unfamiliar scenario of crying her heart out in this bathroom, lost in a foreign country, she felt the childish yearning for her father's embrace, as the little lost girl inside of her took her turn in ruling the broken heart of the anthropologist.

And so she continued to cry, trapped in her own grief as she broke down while in the outside world, life carried on as though nothing had happened, the sun still shining brightly as if ignorant of the fact that she was falling apart.

**

* * *

Washington, D.C.**

Tapping his fingers on the wheel, Seeley Booth whistled cheerfully along to the radio as he headed downtown. The grin on his face was bright as the music spilled from his speakers, drowning out the sounds of his off-key whistling.

Stealing a furtive glance at the passenger side of his car, he was painfully aware of its emptiness. That's why now he either sang or listened to music on his way to anywhere; the silence was too much to bear.

Cursing under his breath as a car swerved his way, he quickly changed lanes, resisting the urge to flip his middle finger out the window. Nothing would destroy his good humor today. Nothing.

When he first spotted the well-lit window of the jewelry store, his grin grew bigger as he caught a glimpse of gold and diamonds. Today was the day he decided to let go of all the logic his heart had tried to force inside his mind.

Parking his SUV, he quickly exited the car and walked to the store in quick steps, nerves suddenly growing as he passed through the glass doors, being greeted by a friendly brunette attendant as he approached one of the glass counters.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, her metal name tag reading Melanie in black letters.

"Yes, I came to pick up an engagement ring. I chose it yesterday along with an inscription," he said, his eyes roaming over the various rings displayed under the thin glass as he ran his hand anxiously through his hair.

"Under what name, Sir?" Melanie asked.

"Seeley Booth."

Melanie nodded and shot him a practiced smile. "I'll be right back, Sir."

Booth returned the smile briefly as she slipped off to the back of the store. Taking his time to admire the general splendor, he noticed the couple to his right. The young woman leaned over the counter, her eyes shining like the diamonds she yearned to have on her finger, while her fiancé gave her waist a reassuring squeeze despite the fact that he was probably sweating under his coat as he pictured the four month salary which would have to pay for that rock. Booth sighed as he watched them, now wary of young love. _They_ were still hopeful.

As Melanie brought over his package, he couldn't help but sigh again as he read the inscription on the inside of the platinum band. _With all my love to you_. All his love… That was a strong statement, but an even bigger lie.

With a smile and a brief thanks, he placed the square velvet blue box in his pocket as he walked out of the store, his eyes catching the sunlight as he scanned up and down the street, half expecting her to just pop out of nowhere to change his life.

With a shrug of his shoulders he slid back into his SUV, turning the car on as he checked his mental map for the best rout to the Jeffersonian. With a small smile, he imagined Angela's expression when she found out that he was proposing to Jenna.

Driving and parking quickly, he almost jogged his way out of the parking lot, seemingly desperate to share the news, almost as if he wanted to lift the burden off his shoulders. Upon entering the Medical-Legal Lab, his most emotional side searched for the familiar wave of auburn hair and a whiff of vanilla in the air.

Gripping the velvet box on his pocket tighter, he made new resolutions in his mind, like the Ten Commandments he learned in Sunday school when he was a kid. You shall not think about her, wish for her, dream of her, hope for her in any way. He was determined to get her out of his life for good. He believed he was moving on.

With a big grin on his face, he softly knocked on Angela's door and a cheery 'come in' was heard through the glass. As the artist's face came into view, he noticed an even bigger grin on her lips.

"What's got you so happy?" he asked, approaching her as she grinned even wider. "You look like the cat that just ate a whole bunch of canaries."

"You won't believe me," she said, her excitement practically palpable in the quiet office.

"Then tell me so I at least know what I'm not going to believe," he asked, not enjoying being kept in suspense.

"She's coming back," she said, and he was sure he had some kind of problem with his hearing.

"What?" he asked, stunned, and she just rolled her eyes at him.

"Brennan is coming back," she said happily, clapping her hands together as she bolted out of the room to share the good news with the rest of the squints.

Crack. Booth could hear his resolutions breaking under those words.

* * *

**Okay people, before you tell me to keep BB in character, I'm gonna pull a Brennan here and say: PLEASE don't jump to conclusion before all the evidence is in. So wait and see what happens!!! Don't forget to leave a review!!!**


	3. Over Italian Food

**A/N: Here is the new chapter. More will come, hopefully soon. **

**Thanks as always to bertie for taking the time to revise and swap ideas with me!! You're an angel!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

It wasn't the fact that she was coming back that bothered him. Or at least, that's what Booth told himself as he glanced at his watch for the fifth time. Still half an hour until her plane to landed. Not that he was keeping a count-down, no sir. He just happened to accidentally glance at his watch every couple of minutes.

Tapping his foot nervously, he caught Angela's eyes as he let out another frustrated sigh. She knew he wanted to pick her up at the airport, but Brennan specifically said that she'd come to meet them on her own. That was Brennan, alright, always independent. So, as he waited up in the lounge at the Jeffersonian, his mind had all the free time it needed to drive him insane with questions.

Had she changed since the last time he saw her? Maybe she cut her hair or dyed it. Or maybe she got a tan. She was close to the beach, right? But then her fair skin would be reddened. What if she lost some weight? She always tended to forget to eat. All these questions ran ceaselessly in his head as he shifted in his seat, trying to find a more comfortable position.

"You okay there, Booth?" asked Angela, her smile unnerving him as he had the distinct impression that she was reading his mind at that exact moment, and a slow smile spread over her features when he looked up at her, alarmed.

"Fine, why do you ask?" he snapped, failing to sound casual as he stretched his feet in front of him, leaning against the couch he was so familiar with from all the times he found Brennan hiding from the world in the higher grounds of the Jeffersonian.

"You just seem a bit anxious, that's all," the artist said, throwing her hands up in mock surrender as she smiled knowingly.

"I'm not anxious," he said, resting his elbows on his knees as he sighed in frustration, "I'm just…"

"Anxious?" Angela supplied, grinning as he glared playfully this time, "It's understandable, sweetie," she said, patting his thigh as his eyes softened at her words.

"Six months, Ange. Six months since the last time I saw her," he said, lowering his head as he stared at his shoes, trying to choke back any old feelings that might want to come out and play, "Six months since the last time I heard her voice."

Listening carefully to his voice, Angela could see the undeniable sadness he carried, and she understood him than. She herself had been rather hurt by the lack of information from the anthropologist since the few e-mails she'd received did nothing to comfort her as she thought fearfully of Brennan's uncanny ability to find trouble, no matter where she was.

"I worry about her, you know?" he continued, his voice low as if he thought that someone could be listening in on him as he shared this secret with her. "I wanted to know how she was, but she wasn't ready to talk to me, was she?"

"No, she wasn't," said Angela in all honesty. She was yet to find out why things were left awkwardly between the partners, but she sensed with all her feminine instincts that it was something big, and that was the reason why Brennan had gone ahead with her trip. "I don't know what happened between you two, and I won't press you to tell me. But what I do know is that you have a strong bond, and I don't believe that this can break the pair of you."

"Then why did she leave?" he said, his eyes searching hers for an answer he knew she didn't have. Those answers could only be found in a certain pair of deep blue orbs, the same ones he missed so much. When she had nothing to offer him, he lowered his eyes again.

"She's coming home, Booth. That's all that matters, right?" she asked, trying to get a glimpse of his eyes as he continued to keep his head stubbornly down, staring at the patterns imprinted on the carpet.

"Right," he answered, his tone lacking conviction as he lifted his head to look at her, giving her a smile intended for comfort, but which did nothing to lessen the nagging feeling she had, that nothing would be magically fixed after her best friend's arrival.

"So where's our food?" she asked, changing the subject when she sensed that Booth had shared everything he was willing to share at the moment.

"Jenna said that she should be getting here soon," Booth said, checking his watch to see that twenty minutes had passed since she called him from their favorite take-out place.

"Have you told her?" she asked, eyeing Booth with even more curiosity as he frowned.

"Told her what?" he asked, and Angela wanted to smack him in the back of the head.

"Did you tell Jenna about Brennan?" she asked, rolling her eyes in a Brennan-like fashion.

"She knows I had a partner," he said, reaching inside his pocket and taking his poker chip out as his fingers played with it.

"Had?" she asked, taking in his nervous state.

"Have a partner," he corrected himself. Nothing could change that, not even Brennan herself.

"Okay then. What time is it?" Angela asked, glancing at the lower level as she watched Zach and Cam working over a set of remains. Hodgins worked in a corner, hunched over his microscope, his brilliant mind oblivious to the world around him.

"Seven thirty," Booth answered.

"She landed," Angela said, grinning softly at the prospect that her best friend would be sliding through the glass doors at any second now. The anticipation was leaving her all bubbly as she sighed happily. "I can't wait to see her."

"Yeah." He wouldn't say otherwise, not for any reason in the world, but he was indeed rather anxious about seeing those familiar waves of auburn hair, reminding himself of the sight of the soft curves of her body, and again hearing the intelligent things she always said and that he never understood.

"Jenna's here," the artist suddenly said, calling Booth's attention as she watched his girlfriend entering with the take-out bags in hand. With an amused smile, she noticed the Italian restaurant label on the paper bag. Never Chinese food, never Thai. Only Italian these days._ Maybe too many memories evoked,_ she thought.

Blowing him a playful kiss, Jenna took slow steps towards the lounge of the Jeffersonian as she greeted the squints working on the platform. Her brown hair danced from side to side in her tight pony-tail as she walked, soft brown eyes sparkling as she gazed at Booth on the upper floor.

She walked step by step up to the lounge, the sound of her heels against the metallic stairs echoing through the quiet lab, and Booth took the bags from her hands when she arrived, with a kiss of greetings and a soft squeeze of her shoulder.

"Miss me?" she asked with a smile, kissing him lightly again. He smiled but didn't answer her, just guided his girlfriend to the couch where Angela waited with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Jenna," greeted Angela, a small smile on her face as she watched the happy couple. So different from the intense and turbulent relationship Booth shared with Brennan.

"Hello, Angela," said Jenna, her friendly voice carrying as she took a seat beside Booth on the couch.

"I'll just go get the boys," Angela said, leaving to give the couple some space. Jenna smiled, lacing her fingers in Booth's as he opened the take-out bags in front of him.

"You okay, honey?" she asked, taking in his serious expression and his tired eyes. He smiled reassuringly, squeezing her fingers lightly.

"Why does everyone keeps asking me that?" he asked, jokingly. She considered him for a few seconds before continuing.

"You seem tense," she said and Booth sighed. He was getting really tired of everyone asking him if he was okay, or saying that he looked anxious and tense. He'd survived without her for six months, he wasn't about to break down or anything. He just needed some time to adjust.

"I'm fine, Jen. No need to worry," he said, kissing her knuckles as he tried to charm-smile her into dropping the matter. Just like with Brennan, he had no such luck.

"She's coming back today, right? Your friend?" Jenna asked, and immediately felt his body stiffen while his jaw clenched.

"Yeah. She's probably on her way here," he said, his eyes now distant as he avoided her worried gaze.

"You were close, weren't you?" she asked, trying to push through his reluctance to talk about his partner.

The great Temperance Brennan. She-who-shall-not-be-mentioned. It was like a rule in their relationship. Every time Jenna asked about the beautiful woman she saw in a picture in his apartment, Booth got tense and changed the subject. Maybe now that the actual woman was coming back, Jenna could try and understand.

"We _are_ close," he said simply, and the present tense wasn't lost on Jenna. No matter how much time passed without a word exchanged between the two of them, Brennan was too important in his life to be discarded.

"Okay," Jenna said calmly, taking the food from the bags and spreading them out, as Angela climbed up the stairs with the rest of the squint-squad behind her.

"Food!" Angela exclaimed, rubbing her palms together as she smelled the delicious aroma coming from the dishes laid out on the coffee table.

"I hope I brought enough for everyone," Jenna said as everyone took their seats around the small table. Angela nodded in confirmation as they began eating, each choosing their favorite dish as small talk was made and sauce was spilled on the floor.

Movement on the lower level caught Jenna's eye, and she looked around to see if anyone else saw it. Realizing they were preoccupied with their food, she just nudged Angela in the side. "Someone's here."

Slow uncertain steps brought Brennan through the sliding glass doors, her eyes curiously searching for any changes that had taken place while she was gone. A small smile spread over her lips as she eyed the central platform. Booth was right when he said that this was her favorite place; she loved her house of reason, her fortress of truth.

In her pocket, she could feel the familiar key-card she'd had for years now. To her left, she saw her office, the lights off as it had been a long time since she last entered it. She missed her books, her couch, her desk, everything.

For a brief moment, it was like she never left, as if she had just gone home the day before and was now back for another case or another Limbo skeleton. Looking around, she searched for her friends, her beloved squint-squad as she'd heard Booth call them so many times. Laughter on the upper floors drew her attention and she raised her gaze in that direction. Her soft smile transformed into a full blown grin when a familiar yell came echoing through the silent lab.

"Sweetie!" Angela called, grinning from ear to ear as she waved at her. From her part, Brennan couldn't be happier to hear her friend. All those months away from home had left her missing the sexual innuendos and inappropriate comments Angela always made.

All the squints came to the rail to see the newcomer, and Brennan smiled at all the warm faces she saw. But when her eyes came to lock with those that belong to her partner, it wasn't a bright smile she found, but something closer to a frown. Beside him, a pretty brunette smiled amicably at her.

Just one thought occupied her mind in those few seconds and she fought to keep the happy expression on her face as she wondered apprehensively,_ Who the hell is that?_

For Booth's part, he was still struggling to believe she was there. It had taken two deep breaths and a lot of courage before he'd turned round to join the rest as they looked out at her, only stopped from running down the stairs by their desire not to take their eyes off her for a second. Gathering his confidence, he'd set eyes on her again for the first time in months, and his initial reaction was one of relief.

The wavy hair he loved so much and dreamed of smoothing with his fingers was still auburn, just slightly longer now. He skin was still as fair as it was the day he left her alone in her office for the last time, except for a pinkish tone now graced her cheeks, giving her the appearance of blushing. And those eyes, _her_ eyes, were still as hypnotizing as ever...

But there was something different, and it was this which caused an involuntary frown to spread across his features. Was it her style? Her weight? Her make-up? Studying her closely, he could've sworn there was something different about her posture, her body language telling him something that her face masked with a smile.

Before he could pinpoint exactly what was wrong with her, his and everyone else's attention snapped back to the doors as they slid open, allowing a tall, dark-haired man to walk casually through, moving to stand behind Brennan as though he'd been doing it all his life. Booth's eyes narrowed as he saw her smile slip for a second as she registered the man's presence, and thought suspiciously, w_ho the hell is that?_

_

* * *

_**All I ask is for your patience. Hopefully (cross your fingers!!) I'll get a new chapter up soon. Now, reviews are really apreciated!**


	4. Testosterone Spill Vol 1

**A/N: Hello, everyone! So here I am with a new chapter. Just want to say that I really apreciate all the reviews I've got, and that I'm sorry I don't have the time to reply to esch, but do know I love them all!**

**Thank you so much to bertie! You played a big part in this chapter with the plans and the changes until this was good for posting, and for that I'm always grateful!!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

The appearance of the stranger behind Brennan seemed to spur everyone to action, and Angela took off down the stairs before anyone could say anything. Skipping the last metal steps, she practically threw herself at her best friend, a grin on her face as she greeted her enthusiastically, "Welcome home, sweetie!"

Relieved on some level by the friendly presence that had been missing for the last six months, Brennan hugged her back, a smile on her own face as she ignored the man who had entered and addressed the artist, "I guess you missed me then?"

"Missed you? Honey, I was going nuts with Jack and Zach blowing things up in this lab," she said, pulling her into a tighter hug. Brennan couldn't stop the flinch of pain as Angela pressed on her still-injured back, but was grateful when the artist stepped back, the mention of her colleagues reminding her that other people wanted to greet the returning anthropologist as well.

Hodgins, Zach and Cam swept her into hugs in quick succession, all of them perfunctory yet totally sincere. A familiar sense of comfort washed over her as they murmured happy greetings and well-wishes, but as the well-known atmosphere of the lab settled around her again, she became acutely aware of the man standing behind her, an anomaly in an otherwise perfect homecoming.

Swallowing away her irrational fear, and reminding herself that she could deal with his presence as she had done before, she forced out a smile, hoping that her anxiety wouldn't register on her face as she searched hurriedly for some sort of friendly small talk.

"I hope my office is still whole," Brennan joked feebly, trying to focus on her colleagues and her homecoming instead of the dull ache in her back and the sharp stare boring into the back of her head.

"Fully in one piece," Angela reassured confidently. "No one's been in there since you left."

The artist saw Booth's head snap round to face her as he and Jenna finally joined the group, a thankful expression on his face. She knew full well that Brennan's office hadn't been entirely uninhabited in her absence, finding the agent loitering in there many times as he waited for lab results and tried to cling on to what was gone.

He'd rarely touched anything, eyes roaming lightly over her desk as if he was afraid to break this sanctuary of hers, but Angela had once found him asleep on Brennan's couch after a particularly long time without news from the anthropologist. At the time, she could offer him no more than a full cup of coffee and a light peck on the cheek, with an empty promise that everything would be okay, but now she figured the least she could do was to keep his moment of weakness to herself. Booth knew he had a true friend there as he smiled at her.

As he glanced back at Brennan, his mind was running with all the things he wanted to say, but couldn't find something to begin with, especially since the first thing that came to mind was, 'Hey, Bones, looking good. Who's the creep?' _Yeah_, he thought, _that won't work_. He contemplated copying her usual blunt manner with a simple 'Who the hell is the creep?' but soon decided that was even worse and would likely result in her laying him out on the floor before he'd even said hello.

Making up his mind, Booth moved through the squints to get to Brennan, Jenna and the mysterious man staying out of the group and out of his thoughts. Disbelief still lingered in his eyes as he stared at her, seemingly unable to believe she was back, but his mouth curved up into a soft smile as he moved in and enveloped her in a friendly hug, speaking quietly in her ear, "Welcome home, Bones."

Instinctively she relaxed in his embrace, his scent, his touch and his voice all stirring up comfortable memories of the time she felt protected and safe in his arms. Letting her eyes drift shut for a moment, she moved in closer to him, deepening the embrace. His arms tightened around her in return, and she immediately realized her mistake when the pain returned to her back, and she visibly flinched back.

Booth stepped back instantly; his eyes wide with concern for his partner, and guilt that he might have taken things a little too far, and he reiterated politely, "Nice to have you back, Bones." Desperate to regain the sense of the distance that neither of them wanted, he moved back to join the others, wrapping his arm round Jenna and giving her waist a small squeeze of reassurance.

Registering this, and feeling a slight pang of something she refused to define, Temperance looked at Jenna, offering her a strained smile and a handshake as she introduced herself, "I don't think we've met. I'm Dr Temperance Brennan."

Jenna smiled warmly at her, shaking her hand. "I've heard a lot about you, Dr Brennan." The petite brunette suddenly looked insecure, "I'm sorry if I'm intruding on your welcome home party." Realizing that she had yet to introduce herself, she added, embarrassed, "Oh, I'm Jenna Danner, Seeley's partner."

Brennan's eyebrows rose at the word 'partner', and Booth clarified quickly, clearly thinking the same thing she was, "She's my girlfriend, Bones. Jenna's my girlfriend. And I told her it was okay to be here for this."

Letting go of Jenna's hand, she gave them both another smile, her lips telling a different story to her eyes. "It's not a problem. Nice to meet you, Jenna."

Before either Booth or Jenna could reply, Brennan felt a hand rest on her waist, mimicking the position of the couple opposite them, and fought to keep smiling as the man behind her prompted with feigned sweetness, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends too, Tempe?"

Hating the feel of his hands on her, she suppressed a shudder, glancing up at him as his tanned arm snaked round her, extending his hand to Booth who shook it suspiciously. "This is Seeley Booth, Angela Montenegro, Jack Hodgins, Camille Saroyan and Zach Addy," she said resignedly as he shook hands with the people in the circle who just looked at him curiously. "Everybody, this is Matt Weiss."

"I'm Temperance's boyfriend," he chipped in smoothly, his hand tightening on her waist to subtly demonstrate his point. "She's told me a lot about you all; I was looking forward to meeting you."

"We haven't heard much about you," Booth said pointedly, eyeing the newcomer warily.

Matt's broad smile never faltered as he replied in kind, "I don't remember Temperance telling me much about this lovely lady here either." He extended his hand to Jenna who shook it politely, remaining close to Booth. "Guess it's new faces all round."

Picking up on the tension between the two men, Angela stepped forward with a smile, looking fondly at her recently absent friend, "You want some food, sweetie? You must be starving after that plane journey, and I really can't imagine that Cuban pizza comes anywhere near to Lucelli's takeaway."

"Pizza?" she echoed, confused by the lack of Chinese.

Ignoring her surprise at this change, Angela linked arms with her, pulling her smoothly away from Matt and leading her toward the stairs as she waved away her doubts, "It's really good pizza. Anyway, tell me all about Cuba; where did you meet tall, dark and handsome over there and why wasn't I told earlier?"

Girl talk drowned out by the clank of heels on metal stairs, and the rest of the group began to follow, heading back their pizzas as they gossiped among themselves. Booth brought up the rear of the group, ascending the stairs as Jenna commented, "She seems nice, Seeley. And Cuba is such an interesting place to go, especially with her writing career and everything too. Doesn't she have a new book coming out soon?"

Not requiring an answer, his girlfriend continued to discuss his partner as they made their way up the stairs. Usually the attentive boyfriend, Booth couldn't help but tune out as she spoke, instead watching Matt who still stood on the lower level.

The newcomer scanned the lab appraisingly, paying special attention to Brennan's office, and the agent couldn't help the prickle of unease that arose at his behavior, fully aware of the way Brennan had flinched when Matt touched her and wondering grimly what prompted such a reaction from the previously confident anthropologist.

As Matt jogged to catch up with Brennan on the way to the stairs, Booth tightened his grip on Jenna's waist when he saw the other man's hand making its way to the small of Brennan's back. Reluctantly, he made his way up, finding a comfortable couch for him and Jenna to sit on while everyone began to talk.

As Angela questioned Brennan lightly about her pink cheeks and new companion, Cam asked about the beaches. Hodgins was more interested to know if she saw Fidel, but Zach wanted to her about all the cultural things she learned. Booth, however, couldn't resist slipping into interrogation mode.

"So where did you two meet?" Booth asked, and Brennan almost dropped her slice of pizza in shock as the blunt question caught her off guard. Before she could say anything, Matt answered for her.

"We met at the beach. She was just lying there, sun-bathing, and I approached her," he said, patting her knee and squeezing it lightly as she refused to meet his eyes, picking intently at her food. "What can I say? Beautiful beaches, drums, dancing… Couldn't resist."

"Yeah, tropical islands can do that to a person," Angela piped in. Last time she vacationed on a tropical island, she jumped over a broomstick, and suddenly was married. She made a mental note to borrow some of Brennan's books on the ancient mating rituals of various countries before going anywhere exotic again, just to make sure.

Booth gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to choke Matt. Brennan sun-bathing on the beach? She applied lotion every single time they went out to a crime scene, always ranting on how the UV rays would possibly give him cancer if he didn't protect himself. Had she changed that much? Instead of voicing these thoughts, he decided to pose another question.

"So, how long have you two been seeing each other?" he asked, ignoring Angela's amused expression at his line of questioning. Jenna was simply watching the back and forth game between her boyfriend and the man she knew little better than Brennan herself.

"About three or four months, right babe?" he asked, looking at Brennan for confirmation. Babe… She wanted to glare at him. Did she look like a small pink pig which, implausibly, had the ability to talk?

"Yeah," she confirmed, trying not to linger on the subject and dropping her eyes to the floor as Booth glanced her way.

"So how are things here?" Brennan asked after swallowing her food. She had missed take-out so much, but mostly, she missed the company that came with the delivery service. Seeley Booth and Thai food could really make a perfect evening.

"Pretty quiet," Angela said, shrugging, "Zach spent a lot of time identifying some bones dating back to God-knows-when while Jack was busy cataloging his bugs. I mostly worked on some three dimensional burial crypts which, by the way, are so boring," she said, elongating the 'so' as she rolled her eyes.

"Are you seriously telling me the guys didn't do anything dangerous or illegal while I was gone?" Brennan asked, raising a slender eyebrow as Jack and Zach exchanged looks before both glancing at Cam, who was torn between amused and aggravated. "What?"

"Did I forget to tell you about the exploding frogs experiment?" asked Angela, and Brennan's eyes went wide as an amused smile spread over her features.

"I'm fairly certain you left that out of your e-mails," she said with a grin, and started interrogating her squints for details. The laughs continued to carry through the lab as many tales were exchanged.

Matt watched her, his head bowed to the side as she laughed. The still present tension in her shoulders told him that she was tired, and he was sure she needed some rest. When she diverted her attention from the group, Matt lightly nudged her on the arm. "I think it's time to go," he said, and watched as her smile faded.

"I've not seen them for six months; I want to stay," she replied, stubborn as she always was. To her complete surprise, his face didn't show signs of frustration at her insistence, just some form of understanding.

"I know, but you need rest. You've had a long day," he said, whispering. She blinked once, twice and a third time before nodding softly. This was truly the first time in several days that she'd caught a glimpse of the man she first met in Cuba so long ago. Turning to her friends, she told them she had to go.

"But you only just got here," Angela complained, pouting like a small child.

"I just need some rest, Ange. I'll be back first thing in the morning," Brennan promised, bidding everyone goodbye as she left with Matt. Turning around, she caught a last glimpse of a concerned Booth looking her way before disappearing through the doors.

* * *

Standing in the morning sunshine, Booth gripped his cell phone tighter in his fist as he looked up at the apartment window he knew belonged to his partner, who was uncharacteristically late for work. After nearly half an hour spent calling all her numbers and getting no response, he decided to drop by her place if only to calm himself and Angela, after the concerned artist left two messages on his answering machine.

Sighing, he quickly made up his mind and he jogged up the stairs to her apartment door. Once facing it, Booth knocked three times firmly before a frustrated sigh escaped his lips at the lack of reply. Against his better judgment he fished inside the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a key she gave him a long time ago, only for emergencies. But seeing as he was worried by her apparent disappearance, he figured this fell into the "emergencies" category.

When the familiar living room came into view, he was assaulted with a nostalgic wave of memories. The thought of the late night take-outs was actually the reason why he couldn't eat Chinese food or Thai anymore. That was something he shared with her and no one else. Scanning the apartment quickly, he called anxiously, "Bones, you here?"

No answer came, and his hand drifted to his gun, worried by the absence of both his partner and her new boyfriend. Taking slow steps towards her bedroom, he was vaguely aware that there was a possibility that what he found behind that door wouldn't be a pleasant sight. Matt was her boyfriend, and he could be there with her. A shudder went up his spine at the graphic images playing out in his mind before he forced them away.

As he pushed her bedroom door open, gripping his gun tighter, he couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped his lips upon seeing her sleeping form sprawled under the white sheets. Auburn hair contrasting with the pillows, she was clad in an over-sized t-shirt, her face the perfect picture of innocence as she breathed slowly in and out.

Taking a moment, he studied her face, the anxiety creeping into his mind again as he watched her. He knew he shouldn't, but he worried so much about her. She had the gift of attracting trouble wherever she was, and he feared that one day, she wouldn't escape the dangers that haunted his thoughts.

Leaning down, he carefully tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear, and she mumbled something incoherent before turning her head towards his hand, the movement unconscious but instinctive, as if her body recognized the source of warmth as he now stroked her cheek lovingly.

The sound of her peaceful breathing was suddenly interrupted, and Booth was unable to prevent the cold feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach. He knew the sound of a gun being cocked better than anyone, and he just stood still, waiting for the perfect chance to react.

"Put your hands on your head," a strong male voice commanded, and Booth reluctantly complied, standing up straight. "Now turn round slow-"

Before he could finish the order, Booth spun round quickly, leveling his own gun at the head of his attacker. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Matt standing in front of him, his eyes narrowed in distrust of the intruder and his hair wet, suggesting he'd been in the shower when Booth entered the apartment. The newcomer's mouth tightened, and his finger moved to the trigger as he instructed, "Drop your weapon."

"You drop yours; I'm a federal agent," Booth retorted, his own finger on the trigger. Meeting the man's eyes, he tried hard not to lose his focus when he hear the sound of stirring from behind him, telling him that Brennan was waking up.

Dragged back to reality from a peaceful dream, Brennan's ears were assaulted by angry grunts. It was only when she heard the distinctive sound of a gun being cocked for the second time that she registered what was going on, and instinctively reached under her pillow, feeling the cool metal of her gun against her fingers. Before she could pull it out, recognition trickled into her sleepy mind, and her priorities immediately switched from defending herself to preventing the two owners of the familiar voices from killing each other.

Sitting up in panic, she spoke loudly, her voice reflecting her shock at the situation, "What the hell is going on?"

Both men looked over to her as she glared at them, her sleep-tousled hair and pink cheeks fading into insignificance compared with the look of disbelief in her eyes, and they lowered their weapons guiltily.

"I came into your room and he was hovering over you," Matt said quickly, pointing in accusation at the scowling agent.

"I just came to check you were okay; you weren't answering your phone or the door, so I thought something had happened," Booth explained, not to Matt, but to Brennan.

"I must have forgotten to set the alarm," Brennan realized, taking a quick look at the clock before her eyes went wide. "Great, I have a meeting with my publicist in an hour. I'm going to go shower," she said matter-of-factly, climbing out of bed and pulling a robe round her body to hide her bare legs. "Booth, I'll be at the lab by 1 – you don't need to check up on me like this." Matt gave him a smug grin, which vanished as the anthropologist turned her attention to him, "Matt, put your gun away. Booth won't give you any trouble, and I don't want you shooting each other."

Her stern gaze flickered between the two men as she told both of them, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Saying nothing further, she headed for the bathroom, leaving them staring darkly at each other.

"I presume you have things to do too, Agent Booth," Matt said, clearly trying to get Booth to leave. Any other day, he would have argued or just stayed to provoke the guy, but he had a lot of work to do and a very pissed off boss to answer to.

"I do as it happens," Booth said, sliding his gun back in his hip holster. "Guess it's your lucky day." He turned to leave, his gaze traveling suspiciously over the other man for one last time as he added warningly, "See you around."

Exiting the room, he made his way to the door, jaw clenched in frustration and his fingers itching to punch the cocky smirk off the other's face. With an annoyed sigh, he crossed the lounge, but paused as he passed the door to the guest room. Curiously, he pushed the door opened wider, getting a better view of the rumpled sheets which indicated someone had slept there.

_So Mattie boy didn't get any_, he thought with a very satisfied grin. Reaching the front door, he took one more glance back to the door of her bedroom, finding Matt standing there and watching him as Booth opened the front door.

Content that the agent was indeed leaving, he closed the bedroom door, and Booth saw tiny shadows move under the bottom of the door as he turned to leave. Still smirking to himself, Booth shut the door behind him before tossing his poker chip in the air, wondering exactly what Matt had done to get kicked out of bed.

* * *

**Tell me what you think! Reviews are always apreciated and they make me very happy!!! **


	5. Regrets

**A/N: Hey, guys, I'm SOOOOO sorry for the delay on a new chapter for this fic, but I swear, this was very hard to write! I just couldn't get it done! **

**So I want to send a HUGE thank you to Goldpiece for being such angel and helping me through every part. Also, a big thank you to bertie for taking time in her very busy schedule to continue being my beta! Thank you, guys! You both rock!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

Angela was already on her way to grab some lunch when she spotted her best friend sliding through the glass doors with Matt hot on her heels. Not one to waste an opportunity, especially since she was extremely curious about Brennan's latest love affair, she quickened her pace to catch up with the anthropologist before she had the chance to barricade herself in her office.

"Swee-etie," she half sang, moving through the lab until she was successfully blocking Brennan's way. "How are you this very late morning? Did your mystery hunk keep you up all night?"

With a disapproving sigh, Brennan shook her head. "Ange, I forgot to set the alarm and I had a meeting with my publicist this morning," she said, smiling as Angela linked arms with hers. She couldn't be mad at her friend's nosiness as she had missed her terribly during the months spent away from home.

"Come on, sweetie, share the goods," Angela urged as she guided Brennan to her office, hoping to interrogate the good doctor about her long, unexplained vacation.

"Angela, I have things to do, work to catch up with," she whined, but Angela wasn't having any of Brennan's patented I'm-too-busy-to-talk-to-you-now speech.

"Bren, you've been back for a day and already you're ditching me for work?" she asked, giving her best friend her best pout as Brennan rolled her eyes, trying hard to contain the smile that threatened to break through her serious exterior.

With a sigh of mock-annoyance, Brennan relented as she turned back to Matt. "Can you give us a few minutes? I'll be right back to give you that tour you wanted, but I have to talk to Angela first." He stared at her for a few seconds and something passed between them, neither looking away until Matt nodded and silently turned around.

After watching the exchange with curiosity and just a hint of amazement, Angela sighed loudly, looking at her friend. "Honey, where did you find that guy?" she asked as the anthropologist fished inside her purse for her keys, laughing at her friend.

It felt strange to Brennan as she pulled her keys out, the familiar skeleton keychain dangling from side to side. Six months ago, she had locked that door, leaving everything behind. When the door was unlocked and she finally stepped inside, she was surprised by what she saw.

Everything looked exactly the same, down to the stack of files she had left on the corner of her desk six months ago. A thin layer of dust coated her things, reminding her of the length of time she'd spent away from her home and her life.

As she scanned the room, looking carefully for any signs of disturbance, she saw her blanket over the couch. Taking it between her fingers, she slowly lifted over to her face, noticing that her perfume still lingered on the colorful material. But curiously enough, she smelt something else, a masculine fragrance mixed with her vanilla one. It was strong, and she immediately recognized it as Booth's distinctive scent which she knew by heart.

Instinctively, her mind turned to the last evening she'd spent in that room and the passionate, forbidden kiss they had stolen that night. A shiver went down her spine at the thought of his lips and body against hers, which didn't go unnoticed by Angela.

"You okay, sweetie?" she inquired as Brennan gave her a forced smile, lowering herself down onto the couch. Concerned, Angela took her place next to Brennan on the couch, facing her friend as she sighed.

"It's just a little strange being back, that's all," she shrugged, her fingers playing with the hem of her blanket as she smiled softly. His scent was intoxicating, bringing up memories she wished were buried six feet under all her denials. "Is she good for him, Ange?"

"What? Who?" Angela asked, confused at the seemingly random question. Brennan looked up from the blanket, her eyes glinting with something the artist had never seen.

"Is Jenna good for Booth? Is he happy?" she asked, the almost pleading look on her face making Angela bite her lip in sympathy.

"I thought we were talking about your new man?" she questioned with a teasing smile, trying to lighten some of the emotions she saw in her friend's eyes.

Brennan faked a smile, her eyes not meeting Angela's as she blurted out, "I kissed him."

Angela let out a bark of laugh. "I would hope so; you've been together for months."

Brennan rolled her eyes, mildly surprised that Angela didn't reach her usual conclusion. "No, not Matt. Booth. I kissed Booth, the night before I left. We kissed," she confessed, lowering her eyes back to the floor.

"Oh," Angela said, her brow furrowed as she processed the new information, "Oh," she repeated, an understanding expression replacing her initial confusion. She placed her hand over Brennan's, bringing the anthropologist's attention to her face as she smiled softly. "You want to talk about it?" she asked, giving Brennan all the space she needed to make this decision without feeling pressured.

She nodded, taking a deep breath as she leaned back on the couch, her hand still on Angela's. "It was nothing, really. We were arguing about something stupid and it got heated. Before I knew what was happening, we were kissing." She had a far-away look in her eyes as she spoke, and Angela could only imagine how much this single kiss had affected her friend.

"And you two didn't talk about it?"

"No. I explained to him that it only happened because of the adrenaline pumping in our veins, increasing our libido. It was just the chemicals in our brains, nothing more."

"I see," she said as she watched Brennan with a skeptical expression. "And how did Booth take that?"

Brennan remained quiet for a few seconds, her eyes unfocused as she replayed the scene in her head. The look of hurt across his face had been haunting her ever since. "He asked me to stay."

"And what did you say?" Angela asked.

Brennan turned to her, her face a mask of rationality as her features tensed. "I told him I wasn't changing my trip because of hormones."

"Oh, sweetie. It was obviously more than just hormones and chemicals for both of you." Her tone wasn't accusing or impatient as she coaxed the truth out of Brennan. The anthropologist remained silent and so Angela carried on. "We've talked about this, honey. About you being scared of having a real relationship with someone."

"Angela, this whole conversation is pointless. Yes, Booth and I kissed. So what? It doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter if the kiss meant something or not. He moved on."

"And so have you, apparently," Angela pointed out, gesturing toward Matt outside, who pretended to be interested in the lab while waiting for Brennan to come out.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Brennan asked, her tone tinged with frustration. This conversation was beginning to wandering into dangerous territories.

"It is, Bren. But just please don't close yourself off to the advantages of your new relationship now that you've come home, okay?" she asked, squeezing Brennan's hand and receiving a genuine smile in return.

"I'll do my best," Brennan replied as she got up. "I have to go now; I promised to give Matt a tour around the Jeffersonian." Without further small-talk, she started walking towards the door, but stopped as Angela called her back.

"You want to go to dinner with us tonight? The whole team is going," she asked hopefully and Brennan nodded with a smile.

"Sure," she agreed and only then noticed Angela's pensive half smile. Even with her limited social skills, Brennan could tell there was something the artist was dying to ask. Despite knowing the dangers of opening herself up to inquiry, she did it anyway, questioning, "Is there something else you want to ask me, Ange?"

"Well, since you brought it up, there is something I wanted to ask you."

"Okay..."

"I know you think regret has no real purpose when you make a conscious decision and everything, but…" She took a deep breath. "Do you ever regret it? Walking away from Booth, I mean. Do you ever regret doing that?"

Brennan sighed, caught off guard by the question she'd assumed would be sexual and highly inappropriate. When she answered, it was barely more than a whisper as she walked out the door, but Angela caught her fleeting words.

"Every single day."

* * *

"And that's why we had to go around sniffing Santa butts." Booth finished as everyone laughed. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned, greeted by the sight of his hopefully soon-to-be fiancée.

Jenna stepped over and smiled, greeting everyone warmly as she turned back to Booth, mind still on the snippet of conversation she'd caught. "Do I even want to know?"

The night had settled over Washington DC as the squints settled themselves inside the restaurant. Brennan had immediately taken interest in the range of organic food served there, while Booth on the other hand had murmured all kind of teasing comments on the way there.

While Jenna found a place next to Booth, a light-hearted atmosphere surrounded the group as everyone chatted animatedly, undoubtedly a side effect of all the wine which was quickly being consumed. Tongues became dangerously loose as they recalled events and swapped stories.

"Well, sniffing their butts can't have been worst than Halloween," said Angela as she took a sip of her wine, and Brennan and Booth shared a smirk.

"Why? What happened at Halloween?" Jenna asked as she unconsciously entwined her hand in her boyfriend's.

"Brennan shot Booth," Angela said, laughing along with the squints as the accused began to protest.

"It wasn't my fault, the gun was just too big," she countered, annoyed with Booth's smug smile as he folded his arms and considering ways to wipe that grin off his face…

"Is that true?" Jenna asked, trying to decide whether to be horrified or amused.

"Yeah, she shot him in the hip," said Cam, who had previously heard the full story from Angela.

"It was on the shin," Booth and Brennan corrected simultaneously.

"Then Booth gets his payback and drops Brennan right on the floor in the middle of all these snakes," Angela laughed as she talked, seeing her friends flush with embarrassment.

"They weren't poisonous," Booth pointed out, getting a glare from Brennan. "At least I didn't shoot you."

"Oh, please. It was just a graze, a flesh wound," she said, "Stop being such a baby."

"Too bad you missed Zach doing the Macarena in his half-cow costume," Hodgins said, regretting leaving his camera at home that day and missing the opportunity for future blackmailing.

"All that in one night?" Jenna asked, impressed with all the stories she never heard before. "How do you two manage?"

"Well, we were Wonder Woman and Clark Kent-" Booth said, shrugging casually.

"After a really bad date," Brennan completed with a smile.

"Is this a fetish thing?" Jenna asked with amusement and Booth almost choked on his water.

"We were dressed as Wonder Woman and a squint for the Jeffersonian party," Brennan explained when suddenly another thought occurred to her."Although, while we're on the subject of fetishes…"

"Bones, drop it," Booth warned quickly, knowing full well where her mind was headed.

"It's a perfectly natural segue for the conversation," she said firmly, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Bones, if you so much as mention horse meat, I'll never eat near you again," he threatened, half-sincerely, but she just grinned, quietly proud that she hadn't lost her ability to provoke him.

Jenna looked from one to the other, lost. "Horse meat? Again, do I want to know?"

"No, you don't," Booth answered as Brennan opened her mouth to speak. She gave him a slightly reproachful glare and he offered her a pleading one in return, smiling in relief as she nodded. She wouldn't bring up Mr. Ed.

"I have an interview with a magazine scheduled," she said, changing the topic to make Booth more comfortable.

"A magazine? Which one?" Hodgins inquired curiously. "Because if it's FHM, I'm sure the photo shot will be interesting. Maybe with a gun, a lab-coat, some killer heels-"

"Please tell me you haven't thought much on the subject," Angela interrupted, looking reproachfully at her day-dreaming boyfriend.

"No, Bones wouldn't pose for FHM," Booth added.

"Wouldn't?" Brennan challenged as she looked squarely at her partner.

He gulped before answering, "Come on Bones, how many times have you talked about it being wrong to objectify women?"

"Dr. Brennan is most likely going to give an interview to the Forensic Anthropology Journal on the new techniques she developed on preservation of remains gathering," Zack said in defense of his mentor.

"Well we all know it won't be Good Housekeeping," added Angela with a snicker.

"What magazine are you being interviewed by, Dr Brennan?" Cam asked, trying to stop a little of all the speculation.

"Cosmopolitan," Brennan answered before regarding the coughing Booth in confusion, having absolutely no clue as to what kind of questions would typically be asked by the magazine.

"Seriously, honey? That's huge," Angela chimed in, already overly excited.

"Actually, Temperance, that's something I wanted to ask you about. I work at Cosmo as a photographer, and I'll be the one doing your photo shoot," Jenna said, her voice shy and low as she spoke.

"Okay," Brennan said, not sure if she would even have any say in the matter.

"But don't worry, if you feel uncomfortable, you can request another photographer; I won't mind," Jenna offered, but Brennan just shook her head.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," she assured her, having no idea if this would work. Booth just looked as stunned as he had before, but now slightly quieter after finally managing to swallow his drink. The silence that fell over the table was broken by Brennan's cell phone ringing. She excused herself from the table and walked out, a somber look on her face as she read the caller ID.

Booth's eyes followed her as she left the restaurant to talk outside. For a moment he considered staying out of it, but the look on her face had been enough to worry him. Without offering any excuses, he simply got up and walked to the front door as she turned her back to him, the cell phone pressed to her ear.

He didn't catch her conversation, only a few scattered words, but nothing that made sense. "I'll be there, just wait outside," she murmured into the phone before turning back to him, the call quickly ended.

"You okay?" he asked, concern lacing his words as he took a step forward, unconsciously reaching for her.

"Yes, but I have to go now. Matt needs me for something," she said, pulling her car keys out of her purse and glancing back at the gathered squints in the restaurant. "Can you apologize to them for me?" she asked, her timid voice betraying the emotions she had no desire to show.

"Sure," he agreed but made no move to go inside. He watched helplessly as she hurried to her car and drove off, knowing he had no way to avoid disappointing those waiting inside.

Ten minutes later, Brennan walked briskly through the shadows of the dimly lit hallways of the Jeffersonian; Matt's guiding hand on the small of her back as they walked deeper into the darkened lab.

* * *

**Now, please reward my efforts and leave a review! Kisses, guys, and I'll see you around!**


	6. Same Mistake

**A/N: Here I am again with a brand new chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know if it's good or not!**

**Thanks to bertie for spell-checking everything and for making sure it was good to go!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

"Last time I checked, this was Brennan's office," Angela called from the doorway, startling the agent relaxing on the chair behind the desk.

"I'm just waiting for her. Zach said she was around," Booth explained quickly, his eyes roaming over the things spread on the desk. It felt strange to see her office so clean now. Somehow, he had gotten used to the dust.

"I haven't seen her in a while. She must be in Limbo." He nodded, his mind elsewhere and his eyes glazed over as he sighed softly. "Are you okay?" the artist asked, her brow furrowed as she watched his odd behavior.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Angela noticed his tone was a little defensive, but chose not to comment on that. Instead, she opted for a more careful approach.

"No reason, you just seem a little too quiet, that's all," she observed, sitting on the chair in front of Brennan's desk as she watched him think, carefully weighing his options.

"It's just…" he began, lips pursed in deep concentration as if trying to break a code. Or, more specifically, the enigma that was his partner. "Has she changed? Or is it just me?"

Angela sighed, recalling the conversation she'd had with her friend the day before in this same office. Funny how she always seemed to be in this same situation with them both, on hand to rescue them from their own stubbornness and pride.

With a friendly smile, she leaned back as she started to speak, "Can I ask why you think she's changed?"

"She just seems… distant," he said, uncertainty lacing his words. "She's always busy, always has something more important to do."

"Booth, she's been home for two days now. Of course she's busy, she just got back," she said, partially amused by Booth's worried state. Of course, if questioned, he would vehemently deny that this had anything to do with the man his partner had brought home from vacation. No, not related at all. "Come on, you know Brennan, she's always too busy."

"Yeah, but don't you think it's strange that she spends so much time with this Matt guy? I mean, what do we really know about him?" he asked, helplessness tingeing his tone, and Angela waited to see if he had any more ranting to do before speaking.

"Sweetie, first of all, he's her boyfriend, of course she's gonna spend a lot of time with him. Second, no, we don't know much about him, but as long as Bren's happy enough, we don't need to know his life history. Thirdly, why are you so worked up about this?" she asked, leaning forward as he shrugged.

"I'm just trying to look after my partner," he said, annoyed, but Angela just smirked.

"Okay, my bad," she conceded teasingly, raising her hands in surrender. He was visibly tense, jaw tight and back ramrod straight, while his fingers toyed nervously with a pen.

"I kissed her," he blurted out, much like Brennan had done. If he didn't seem so stressed about the situation, Angela would have laughed. Trying not to scare him away, she tried to look surprised.

"Really?" she asked, widening her eyes.

"She already told you, didn't she?" he asked, amused with Angela's attempt at acting and noting with a smile that it was still better than Brennan's.

"She did," the artist admitted, "But I'm dying to hear your side of this," she finished, not even bothering to hide her curiosity. Booth smirked, knowing full well that Brennan's account of the events would have been as scientific as possible.

"We were arguing and I kissed her," he said with simplicity. "It got a little heated and I just gave in. I kissed her. And she kissed me back," he clarified firmly. After all, if a mistake was made, it was made by both of them.

"And how did you feel about that?" Angela inquired, trying to see if Booth shared Brennan's opinion on the effects of adrenaline and hormones.

"I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to kiss her," he said, surprising Angela with his honesty. She could only guess how long he'd been waiting for an opportunity to get that off his chest. "I kissed her then and I didn't want to stop. I wanted to kiss her again and again."

"And what did she say?" She knew but somehow sensed that he wanted to say it.

"Well, she gave me the typical Brennan response. Chalked it up to the chemicals in our brains and all that crap." His frustration was obvious as he spoke, "I mean, does she really believe there were no emotions involved?"

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, seeing the still-raw sadness in his eyes.

He nodded, eyes dropping to the floor as he confessed in a barely audible voice, "I even asked her to stay." A bitter smile crossed his face at the thought of his own stupidity. "How naïve is that?"

"Not naïve, Booth. Just hopeful."

"She said she wasn't going to change her vacation because of hormones." He smirked, trying to disguise the hurt he still felt at Brennan's dismissal of his feelings. "I mean, I should have known, right?"

"Booth, this is Brennan we're talking about. She probably didn't even realize she hurt your feelings like that," said Angela, trying to fix some of her friend's mess. "Have you talked to her about this?"

He shook his head, saying in answer, "I have Jenna now and she has Matt."

"God, sometimes you two are so much alike that it scares me," Angela said, smiling at the fact that they shared the opinion.

"Besides, I have bigger things to think about," Booth continued, taking a small blue-velvet box from his jacket and placing it cautiously on the desk in front of Angela. Her eyes widened when she understood what he was saying, and she carefully picked up the box, revealing the delicate diamond ring.

"You're proposing to her?" she asked in surprise, lifting her eyes from the stone. He nodded, a small smile creeping across his lips as he watched her. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he said, his tone more confident than he actually felt. Was he sure? Not really, not since his eyes found Brennan's two night ago.

"When?"

"I'm not really sure, but sometime this week," he informing her, doing a quick mental check to ensure he hadn't forgotten to make reservations. Before Angela could say anything else, Cam walked in the room, her gaze quickly focusing on Booth.

"Hey, Cullen is looking for you. They found a body at an abandoned warehouse, so he's calling you in," she said, not noticing when Angela slid the jewelry box back to Booth who tucked it securely inside his jacket, next to his heart.

"Okay, I'll just go get Bones," he said, getting ready to leave.

"Actually, Zach will be going with you," Cam informed him and Booth's head snapped to face her, confusion written all over his features.

"What? Bones is back and working again, right?" he asked, his posture becoming aggressive and tense.

"Hey, don't look at me. It was Dr. Brennan who requested it," Cam said, not interested in receiving the end of Booth's wrath.

"What?" he repeated incredulously, searching Angela's eyes for enlightenment, but there was none. She was clearly as confused as he was. Since no other explanation was forthcoming, he pushed himself quickly out of the chair and almost ran out of the office, searching for his apparently former partner.

Watching the agent leave, Angela sighed deeply, her mind working overtime as she tried to understand Brennan's actions. _What have you done now?_

It didn't take Booth long to find the anthropologist, and his blood was boiling by the time he reached the Bone Room where she always examined her remains. As he entered the room, she didn't notice him, fully involved in looking over the skeleton laid out carefully on the brightly lit table.

In the past, he might have waited, watching as she squinted at the skull in the way he always found adorable while biting the cap of the pen in her hand. However, today, he couldn't wait for her to drag herself away from her work and spoke up, making his presence, and irritation, known.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning to end our partnership?" he asked bluntly, and the small smile that had crossed her lips at the sight of him immediately disappeared. "Were you even going to tell me?"

"Booth, it's not like that," she said, snapping her latex gloves off as she took a step towards him. He backed up subtly, trying to avoid any kind of closeness between them. She saw, and chose not to approach him further, instead explaining, "It's only temporary, Booth."

"How come?" he asked, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I have very important remains to work with and a lot of other things to catch up on. I just need some time to adjust, that's all."

"That's bull, Bones," he spat, and her eyes widened in surprise as his voice raised, "I know you. You've never had problems adapting before, and no amount of work could overwhelm you so much that you need to quit fieldwork. There's something else, something you're not telling me."

"There is nothing, Booth." She fixed him with a stare, her tone bordering on patronizing. "You're overreacting. We'll be partners again as soon as I catch up with everything."

"So we're back to this? You making up excuses not to work with me? Like you did when Zach was in Iraq?" he snapped, taking a step forward, his face inches from hers as their breaths mingled.

"It's not like that, Booth." Her voice had raised as well, but she didn't notice.

"Then tell me what it's like. Tell me why you've changed," he urged her. "Does this have anything to do with your new boyfriend?"

"That's none of your business, Booth," she answered quickly, anger spiking inside her.

"You're my partner, or at least you used to be," he almost yelled in desperation. "So yeah, it is my business!"

"No, it's not. This has nothing to do with you or with Matt; this is about me, okay?" she retorted, their faces too close together as they breathed rapidly. She bit her bottom lip, not wanting to name the feelings that rushed through her as his eyes darted from her eyes to her lips, a flicker of hunger in them.

"Talk to me," he whispered, his adrenaline level coming down as the familiar urge to join her lips with his pulsed through his veins. Instinctively, he lowered his head towards hers, a dangerous move that she mirrored, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. They got closer, their lips almost touching, until she pulled away first, turning her back to him.

"There is nothing to talk about, Booth," she said, thumbs rubbing circles on her temples to will away the headache that was forming.

"Fine," Booth muttered sarcastically, turning to leave, "Don't bother coming back to do fieldwork. I mean, I did fine without you for six months already."

The rhythm of his footsteps echoed that of her shallow breaths as he left, and Brennan swiped away a tear of anger. The bones blurring before her eyes, she whispered an apology he could no longer hear as she again made the mistake of letting him leave in anger and pain.

Booth drove fast, trying to get as far away from the Jeffersonian as he could. He didn't know what frustrated him most; the fact that she refused to talk to him or that he'd almost kissed her. The engagement ring burned inside his jacket pocket, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

Stopping off at his apartment on the way to the crime scene, he felt himself relax a little while he watched Jenna water her plants, something she always did in the mornings. He walked quietly up behind her and she had no time to react as his arms enveloped her, spinning her round to let his lips claim hers.

He had the urgency of a desperate man as he kissed her, trying hard to concentrate on his actual, wonderful girlfriend and not on the infuriating woman who plagued his every thought. Kissing Jenna, Booth tried hard to reassure himself that she was the one for him. And that, for once, his heart was wrong.

* * *

**Okay guys, so now you can let me know what you thought of this chapter, 'cause I'm highly insecure about it! Kisses, and I'll see you soon!**


	7. Boxed Up Feelings

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Here is another chapter for this baby of mine, and I hope you all enjoy it! I know everyone wants to know what is happening already, but please stick with me! We are building a plot here! **

**Thank you so much for bertie for all the beta work and all the patience!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

It was almost impossible for Booth not to compare the woman sleeping soundly beside him and the woman who currently occupied his thoughts.

Imagining dark brown hair fanned out on a white pillow, he looked down at the golden locks which shone in the rays of sunlight peaking through the curtains and reaching his bed. He gently traced a path through the soft tresses with the tips of his fingers, a wave of guilt washing over him when he caught himself wishing for the reddish brown glow he knew so well.

Booth rolled over in the bed, swinging his legs out as he sat up and burying his face in his hands with a sigh of frustration. Miserably, he contemplated the mess had he made with his life, torn between what he had and what he thought he didn't want anymore.

It was ironic, really, how easily Brennan could push his buttons without even knowing. He had missed their bickering but somehow their dynamic wasn't the same now. He had seen a flicker of their old selves at the diner on the night when she teased him about bad dates and horse meat, but after learning that she'd decided to stay inside the lab, he feared their partnership would never be quite the same.

He looked over his shoulder as he heard Jenna stir behind him, her hands reaching over to his side of the bed and a small whimper escaping her lips as she moved. Her eyes flickered behind heavy eyelids, and he wondered what she was dreaming about. By her sleepy smile, he assumed it was something good, but was mildly ashamed to realize that he had no idea what his girlfriend dreamt about.

Almost six months together, and he thought he knew her very well by now. Her background, her exes, her likes and dislikes. She was easy to read, with no mysteries in her eyes and no scars from a haunting past. It was so much simpler to be with her. She would be perfect for him, if only he could let go of Brennan.

Even though he hated to admit it, Brennan had changed him. From his dreams to his perception of the world, she changed him just as much as he changed her. He knew her quirks, her flaws, her sins and demons only slightly better than she knew his, but somehow he could always see some hidden mystery in her eyes, as if he would never know everything about her, and that just made her more intriguing to him. He could spend the rest of his life trying, but would never know her entirely.

Running a hand over his face, he tried to wipe the remnants of sleep from his eyes, knowing that after a night spent tossing and turning, he would be tired later that day. Taking a deep breath, he walked to his closet, busying himself in picking out a suit and tie. That was when his eyes caught it.

Hidden behind his shirts, he saw a large silver-wrapped box lying forgotten in the corner. Surprised, he took it carefully in his hands, recalling the exact day he bought it, and why he did. It had spent two months sitting in the closet, so maybe now it was time to give it away.

"Hey."

Hearing the call from behind him, he turned to face Jenna as she sat up against the headboard.

"Hey, I hope I didn't wake you. I was just going to change for work," he said, reaching the bed and placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I was just about to wake up too," she murmured sleepily, noticing the box in his hand as it glinted in the sunlight. "What's that?" she asked.

"Just something I bought for a friend a while ago," he said evasively, and tried to ignore how her smile faltered when she realized the gift wasn't for her.

"Is it for Temperance?" she asked, and he was surprised by her accurate assumption. She took his silence as a yes. "What happened between you two yesterday?"

"Happened?" he repeated nervously, feeling cornered by her sudden interest in his relationship with his partner.

"Well, before, you could barely say her name at all, and now every time I mention her, you get this strange expression on your face," she said, trying to keep the accusing tone out of her words.

"Nothing happened, okay? I'm just worried about her," he said defensively.

"Why are you worried, Seeley? She seems to me like a perfectly independent woman. Surely she doesn't need you to hover as if she's a child."

"You don't know her, okay? You don't know anything about this," he snapped, raising his voice and instantly regretting it when a look of hurt flashed across Jenna's face. Biting his lips, He approached her quickly, whispering apologies as he wrapped his arms round her.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm a little stressed at the moment, but I didn't mean to yell at you," he said soothingly as he stroked her back. Sometimes he forgot how most women were after spending so long with Brennan. She was so unfazed by his actions that he sometimes felt out of touch when it came to Jenna's more feminine sensitivities.

"It's just… I like her, okay, don't get me wrong, but something must have happened between you two, because she's only been back for a few days and you're already acting strange," Jenna said, her tone soft as she kept her eyes cast down, almost fearful of his answer.

Booth pulled back, meeting her eyes. "Look, Jen, Bones will always be an important part of my life," he said quietly. "But you know you're important to me too, and I promise I'll do my best in everything I do with you."

She smiled at him timidly, apparently satisfied with his vow, and kissed him slowly on the lips, before leaning into him as though needing physical reassurance as well as verbal. "Thank you," she whispered once more before he stood and continued to dress.

Jenna watched as he flashed her a smile before disappearing into the bathroom, part of her satisfied by his words, but a small part of her still on high alert. What was it about his partner that got him so worked up, anyway?

* * *

Each step he took seemed harder than the last as Booth walked through the quiet halls of the Jeffersonian towards his former partner's office. He clutched the present, feeling it grow heavier in his hands. Looking around, he saw that almost no one was in yet, but Booth knew for sure she would be there.

Approaching her office, he expected to find her hard at work, typing away in her computer or writing a report, but what he actually found was very different, and strangely familiar at the same time. Brennan had her head down on her arms, half-lying over her table in what seemed like a very heavy, and no doubt, undesired sleep.

A smile crossed his lips at her relaxed expression, all the tension ebbing from her body despite her uncomfortable sleeping position. At least he wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping in his own bed.

Walking over to her side, he gently placed his hand between her shoulder blades, shaking her lightly in an effort to wake her up. Calling her name again and again, Booth smirked to himself as she remained still, with only the sound of her breathing audible throughout the office.

"Temperance," he called louder, shaking her shoulders again with just a little more force. This time she shifted, her eyes fluttering open slowly and adjusting to the bright light.

She seemed disoriented for a few seconds, looking around as if trying to process her current location. As her eyes rested on Booth, she straightened herself, almost embarrassed for being caught sleeping in her office. She imagined for a second how she must look with her hair messed up and her make-up smudged.

"What are you doing here, Booth?" she asked, voice tinged with tiredness and curiosity.

He sighed, kneeling in front of her chair to level his eyes with hers, despite her surprise at his proximity. "I came here to apologize, Bones. I shouldn't have said those things yesterday; you didn't deserve that," he said in all the honesty he could muster, hoping and praying that she would believe and forgive him.

A ghost of a smile formed on her lips, and he allowed himself an iota of hope. "I was actually planning on coming over to your office today to apologize," she said and could see the surprise written on his face. "What? I am capable of apologizing," she said indignantly, but couldn't help but laugh along with him when he looked at her skeptically.

"Damn, wish I could've seen that." Grinning, he stood up and walked over to her couch, motioning for her to join him. As she sat beside him, he nudged her playfully with his shoulder, bringing her attention to his face as he said honestly, "I still want you as my partner."

She smiled genuinely. "You mean that?"

He nodded. "And I know you have some things you need to work on, so I'll give you some time, okay?" This time she nodded in return, a glint of tears in her eyes. Just as he was about to stand up from the couch, she caught a glimpse of the silver box he still held.

"What's that?" she asked , her curiosity peaking as she stared at the carefully wrapped present, the bow calling her attention when he brought it up for her inspection.

"It's for you," he said simply, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"For me? Why? Is there some special occasion I don't know about?" she asked, amused, as he handed her the box. Just like a small child, she resisted the urge to shake the box to try and see if she could guess what it was.

"Your birthday," Booth said, and she frowned.

"My birthday was two months ago," she said, trying to understand what could have persuaded him into buying her a gift.

"I know, but you weren't here. I knew you birthday was coming, and I just felt like it was something I needed to do." She smiled softly, touched that he bought her a present, even when she wasn't around. "I guess part of me thought that you'd be back then."

"I'm sorry," she whispered and he gave a small shrug of reconciliation. With an unsteady breath, she slowly unwrapped the box and a small gasp escaped her lips as she saw what lay inside.

Brennan brought it up to examine, admiring her brand new present. It was a square music box, made of lacquered wood with golden details etched in the surface and her given name written over the top. "It's so beautiful," she whispered, her eyes never leaving the box.

"Open it," he said, and she did as he requested. A lullaby filled the room, its soft tune bringing a smile to her face.

"It's the song my mother sang to me when I was a little girl," she said in a small, shy voice, turning her eyes to him as if asking how he knew.

"You told me that once when I was tucking Parker in. The box was easy to get hold of so all I had to do was find a place to have your name written on it, but the song was a bit harder. I have this friend and he-" Before he could continue with his rambling, he surprised into silence as she wrapped her arms round him in a grateful hug.

"Thank you," she murmured against his ear, and he tried to make himself relax. Having her so close, he was acutely aware of every inch of her against him; every breath she took, he felt. Her scent, her warmth, her skin against his, her soft hair brushing his neck… It was almost too much.

"Happy late birthday, Bones," he whispered back, afraid to break contact. She moved back, her cheek brushing his as she did so. She left a kiss at the corner of his mouth, very light and innocent, filled with nothing but gratitude, but that left his heart pounding. This simple act was enough to unbalance him all over again.

As she broke apart from him, smiling contentedly, he was certain that his next move would be hard, but necessary. "Look Bones, I have to go to New York for a testimony tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. When will you be back?"

"Couple of days, I think," he said, getting to his feet and reluctantly walking over to the door. "See you in a few days, Bones." He flashed her a smile, a goodbye of sorts, and she smiled back with sincerity.

"Thank you again," she called as he strolled out. She sat there for a moment more, staring at her present as the lullaby continued to play.

"I thought I heard music." Hearing the amused voice coming from the doorway, Brennan turned to see Angela walking in. The artist eyed the present for a few seconds, and immediately Brennan knew explanations would be required.

"I got it from Booth for my birthday," she said, and answered pre-emptively before Angela had a chance to open her mouth. "Yes, he bought it two months ago, and yes, we're okay now."

The other woman just grinned, amused by Brennan's foresight. "That saved me a lot of trouble," she said as she studied her friend. "Honey, do I need to worry about you and Booth?"

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked, confused by the random question.

"Well, you're both in relationships, but it seems like you keep coming back to each other."

"We're friends, Ange. Please don't start trying to change that again," Brennan defended, half-pleadingly.

"Right," Angela said, loitering with concern in the doorway as she tried to find the right words. "This is one of those times that you need to catch up to your own reality, sweetie."

And with that she walked out, leaving Brennan to wonder yet again about her relationship with Booth.

* * *

**Well, I really felt BB had to get things right between them and I wanted to show a little more of what is happening in Booth's head, so let me know how this went. Upnext, we'll have a little more development, so hang in there!**


	8. Icy Beauty

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm soooo sorry for the delay, but with God (and bertie) as my witness, this was so hard to write! I had writter's block and very little time to work with this since school is taking more and more of my time! So sorry guys!**

**Thank you, bertie for your work as my beta! And I want to thank you guys for all the kind reviews, they were really great and kept me writing!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones. Fox does.**

* * *

Jenna hummed quietly as she busied herself in tidying up Booth's living room while the owner of the house finished his last-minute packing for a day and a half trip to New York in the interest of a last minute needed testimony. She heard a loud thud in the hallway followed by a string of curses and laughed as a toy truck was kicked into the living room.

"You okay?" she asked with genuine concern as she walked over to the source of the problem. Booth was leaning against the wall, rubbing his forehead which was now starting to turn a light shade of red.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tripped over one of Parker's toys," he said, smiling in embarrassment before turning away and walking into his room. Jenna grinned as she watched him go, shaking his head as she returned to her own task.

Approaching his bookcase, she ran her fingers over a framed picture standing proudly between books and DVDs. The picture was of the two of them, together at Jenna's birthday party a few months back. His arm was slung around her shoulders, matching smiles on both their faces as her dad snapped the photograph.

Even now as she looked at this frozen moment, Jenna could still feel the way he always kept her at arm's length, never really giving her all of himself. So different from what she saw with Brennan. The glow Jenna saw in his eyes, the warmth she felt radiating from his smile… they were all evoked by her presence, and it takes all of her strength to reassure herself that she's the one he loves. She knows him to be too honorable to deceive her like this.

"Okay, I'm ready," he calls from the bedroom, bringing her out of her reverie. She straightens, smiling widely as she disguises her inner thoughts. "You ready?" he asked as he appeared beside her, a very small bag in his hand.

She just smiled wider in answer, planting a small kiss on his lips that left him surprised. "Let's go," she said cheerfully, before lacing her fingers with his and moving toward the door.

"Damn," Booth exclaimed as he stopped and turned back. "Forgot my coat," he said, starting to move back to his room but Jenna stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

"I'll get it for you; just go start the car." With that, she hurried quickly into the bedroom, hearing the front door open as Booth headed out to his car. She smiled briefly at his forgetfulness upon finding the coat draped over the bed, but her smile soon left her lips when a small velvet box fell from one of the pockets as she lifted the coat up from the bed.

"What the…" She trailed off, dropping on her knees as she reached for it. Curiosity peaked, Jenna opened the lid with a small popping sound, and a gasp mixed with laughter escaped her lips as her eyes rested on what was, undoubtedly, a beautiful engagement ring.

Her fingers slowly traced the diamond resting on the silver band, very small tears gathering in the corner of her eyes as she smiled, her heartbeat quickening as her hand trembled. The sun caught the gem and it glinted brightly, different colors of light creating a kaleidoscope-like effect on the white walls.

Jenna was so entranced by the ring that she completely forgot the original purpose behind returning to the bedroom. It was only when she heard the honk of the car outside did she remember her boyfriend's last-minute trip. With ease, she slid the now closed jewelry box in his coat, taking a few seconds to calm her breathing. When she was sure of herself, Jenna quickly walked thought the house and out, locking the door behind her.

"What took you so long?" Booth asked as she climbed into the car. Jenna didn't answer him, instead simply slipping her arms behind his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. "What was that for?" he asked with a surprised smile as they pulled apart.

"So you won't forget me while you're gone," she said teasingly as he started the car.

"I'll barely be away for two days. You won't even realize I'm gone," he said, taking her hand in his as she stroked his fingers lovingly.

"I'll notice," she said, turning her face to the passenger window as she tried to hide her smile. Now she understood the secretive dinner reservations she'd heard him confirm over the phone that very morning.

"I'll be back before you know it," he replied nonchalantly, sending her a dazzling smile as they pulled out of the drive.

The drive passed in comfortable silence, Jenna twirling a strand of her long brown hair between her fingers as she watched the streets flickering past outside her window. As for the agent by her side, nothing in his seemingly calm face betrayed the emotions cursing through him.

This time, he was the one leaving, but with every intention of coming back. A day away from Brennan, free from her perfume and lingering taste, free from sweet memories and bitter goodbyes would do them both good. He convinced himself that was all he needed to assure himself of his love for Jenna.

When they reached the Jenna's studio, she turned to him, lacing her hand through his as it rested on the wheel. "Come up and see the shoot," she suggested brightly. "I'll feel much more secure if you're around."

"I need to get going," he said, trying to avoid any interaction with Brennan now as it would only serve to deepen his doubts.

"Not yet you don't," she accused playfully. "Rush hour's another few hours away; the traffic will be fine. Come on," she pouted, tugging at his hand. There was no way out of this, he had no more excuses, and so he decided to cave.

"Fine, but I have to leave soon," he relented as he turned the car off.

A small flight of steps took them up to the large studio Jenna had on the second floor. It basically consisted of a large, well lit room, with all the make-up artists, hair dressers and wardrobe assistants stationed in the back while she herself was positioned near the window. Jenna had always told him how much she loved natural light, and she used it with ease in her work.

Smiling to everyone, Jenna dropped her bags by her table along with all her photography equipment. Her work was always saved in her USB drive, a small black stick that she kept safe inside her purse at all times.

Feeling slightly like a fish out of water, Booth curiously watched the burst of activity that greeted them as the experienced photographer began her preparation. Orders were barked, equipment was set in place. Everything was ready for Dr Temperance Brennan's Cosmopolitan photo shoot except, Booth noticed with irony, the woman herself.

Unconsciously, Booth edged further into the studio, his head turning from side to side as he took it all in, absorbing this side of his girlfriend he still didn't know. It was interesting to observe the strange way in which she demanded respect with kindness and smiles.

Curiosity still unsated, he continued to approach what looked like a dressing room but with white screens in the place of walls. Peeking subtly inside, his eyes followed the hustle and bustle of the people inside. In the center, strategically placed in front of the mirror, sat his partner, dressed in a dark blue chiffon dress which complimented both her eyes and her skin tone.

She kept her back to him but Booth could see her face in the mirror as she endured the push and pull of her make-up and hair being done. The final touches were added and she stared at her own reflection, her eyes clouded with what he identified as sadness. He didn't know why, only wished he could make those eyes sparkle with laughter again.

Finally they were done with her, and he saw her breathe a sigh of relief when they left her alone. He watched as she blinked at what she saw in the mirror and he knew she was a complete stranger to her own beauty, the same beauty that was now perfectly clear to everyone. But he was no stranger to it. With her eyes smoked with make-up, she was strikingly beautiful, but never knew the effect she had on him.

When they first met, he was taken aback by her beauty, and her unawareness of it. While most women would have found a way to take advantage of their looks, she hid hers under a steel reputation, restraint and a feisty personality, defending her name and degree against men who never seemed to understand her. So icy, so cold, but undeniably beautiful…

Now he knew her soft spots, her heartaches and sensitivities. And he knew her warmth, the delicate nature of her feelings, and the intensity of her unspoken love for those around her. Despite the hard shell, she was breakable, soft, naïve, lovable, and so beautiful, but still so utterly unattainable.

As he watched, she met his gaze in the mirror, and he felt a strange warmth of satisfaction upon seeing her eyes light up when she saw him standing there. He gave her a smile, gesturing wildly at the buzz around them and she laughed genuinely for the first time that day.

He moved to approach her, hoping to take away some of the tension accumulated by being touched and prodded by Jenna's team, but stopped in his tracks when another person came into view. A hand was placed on her shoulder and Brennan looked up in panic to see Matt staring back at her in the mirror.

His view blocked by the newcomer, Booth briefly wavered whether to go in and speak to Brennan or to leave her in the company of the possessive man standing behind her. As if he needed another reminder of why he had to forget her. Settling reluctantly on the latter option, he walked quickly back to his original place by the entrance of the studio, his eyes darting guiltily back to his own girlfriend.

"Okay, let's get this thing done," Jenna called out. Everybody fell in place as Brennan took tentative steps out of her improvised dressing room. Nervously, she felt everyone's eyes on her as she walked towards the white panel that would serve as the background.

"You can come here, Temperance," Jenna instructed gently, and the anthropologist did as asked. Only then did Booth notice her feet were bare. He watched as Jenna gave her all the instructions she needed for the shoot, telling Brennan just to be herself, to be comfortable.

"You ready?" she asked as Brennan settled herself on the floor, her legs curled neatly by her side. She took a calming breath before nodding, and with the signal, Jenna began to snap her shots.

"She's beautiful," Jenna commented quietly as she worked different angles, trying to capture Brennan's soft side as she was instructed to. Booth simply nodded, not trusting himself to form a neutral answer.

"I have to go," he said suddenly, finding it hard to stand there much longer without doing something he'd regret as Matt smirked at him from his spot on the other side of Jenna.

"Okay. Call me when you get there," Jenna requested as she took a minute to kiss him goodbye.

"Will do," he said as he turned to Brennan, "See you, Bones."

"Bye, Booth," she said, a painful kind of emotion flickering across her face as he went. With her trained eye, Jenna didn't miss the sudden vulnerability that filled Brennan's expression, and skillfully she snapped the photograph right as Brennan turned to her, before she could disguise her eyes with indifference.

The rest of the shoot went smoothly and, to Brennan's relief, quickly. Jenna thanked her as she went to change, happy to be out of the dress and the make-up so she could do some real work back at her lab and avoid promotional duties until her next book was written.

A few moments passed while Jenna uploaded the photographs onto her computer and transferred them to her USB stick. A thought came to her and she headed to the dressing room, intending to ask Brennan if she wanted to see the pictures before some were posted as a teaser on the web, but stopped at the makeshift door when she heard what she assumed was an argument.

Cautiously, she peeked through the opening of the screens, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. Inside, Jenna could see Brennan and Matt in the middle of a heated argument. They weren't yelling, but rather speaking in angry whispers as they stared at each other, irritation clearly visible on both their faces.

Brennan gestured wildly as they fought, quickly changing her clothes as her boyfriend stood there. The anthropologist turned her exposed back to Jenna as she worked her jeans up her legs, and the photographer gasped, her eyes wide. Fading bruises marred the bare skin of her back, blue and greens littering the pale skin which had been covered by the dress only seconds earlier.

She wanted to go in, to ask Brennan if she was okay, and if she needed any kind of help. But when she saw Matt standing over the anthropologist, watching his girlfriend's every move, she knew she couldn't do anything now. She ducked quickly out of sight when he glanced over at the door, silently making her way back to her computer in the hopes that he hadn't seen her.

Clutching the USB driver she was still holding, Jenna pondered her next move. She wished Booth was by her side, to guide her, but he wasn't there. She had never been in this situation before, and had no idea what to do.

Glancing at her cell phone, she contemplated calling Booth, but quickly decided against it. He would react badly, and it would be better to wait until his return so as to not jeopardize his case. In reality, she could only imagine how his anger would boil over once he knew of Matt's strange grip on his favorite forensic anthropologist.

* * *

**Guys, I'm not above begging, so please leave a review! Next chapter, we'll have Booth back and a little confrontation is bound to happen! Stick with me guys, we're getting there!**


	9. The Secret's Out

**A/N: Hello, guys! I know I promised some confrontation in this chapter, but that's going to happen on the next chapter. Sorry! I hope you all enjoy this! Also, thanks for the wonderful reviews, they really made my day!**

**Thank you, bertie, for being the best beta in the world and for taking some time out of your very busy schedule to go over my fics! You seriously rock!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

Jenna knocked twice, her uncertainty reflected in the light tapping her hesitant knuckles produced. She wasn't exactly sure why she was standing there, waiting in front of a strange door to speak to someone who was practically a stranger to her. All she knew was that, since the day before, something had been compelling her to make this visit.

She heard noises inside and, straining to hear, Jenna could almost make out whispering voices. She made out one brief curse before the lock was unfastened and the door was opened.

"Jenna?" Brennan asked, her brows furrowed in confusion as she appeared in the doorframe.

The photographer clutched a brown envelope tightly against her chest as she smiled shyly at Brennan. There was just something about the accomplished scientist that made her feel like the gawky, uncoordinated teenager she used to be and had fought hard to leave behind.

"Can I help you with something?" Brennan inquired at Jenna's silence, trying to imagine any reason why Booth's girlfriend would be at her apartment. A sudden worrying thought occurred to her. "Did something happen to Booth?"

The concern in her voice was noticed by Jenna and she quickly spoke up to explain her presence, "No, he's still in New York. He'll be back tonight." She paused, the nerves creeping back in as she stammered, "I'm sorry I didn't call or anything but I didn't actually have your number so-"

She was cut off as Brennan lifted her hand to stop her spiel. "It's okay, Jenna. You want to come inside?" Jenna nodded shyly and Brennan stepped aside, watching as the other woman entered and took in her surroundings with vigilant eyes. An occupational habit, no doubt, one with which she was very familiar herself; Brennan couldn't look at a person without observing everything she could about the other's skeletal system.

Brennan motioned to the couch and they both sat down as she began curiously, "So how can I help you?"

Jenna handed the slim brown envelope to Brennan. "These are some of the pictures from the photoshoot. I thought you might like to keep them?"

Temperance nodded, a soft smile conveying her gratitude, not for the pictures themselves but for the thoughtful action. "Thank you," she said, taking the pictures out of the envelope and giving them a cursory glance. Never one to dwell on her own image, she quickly set them down on her lap and asked with polite interest, "When will the magazine come out?"

"In a couple of weeks, but a preview of the article is already up on the net," Jenna said, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Brennan, who had learned a few tricks about body language from Booth in the past. Jenna was anxious, and possibly hiding something.

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" she asked, and the other woman's eyes widened a little. "You can just say it, you know; I'm not easily offended."

At that, Jenna became even more uncertain why she was there. She had been impressed by Brennan from the first moment and would love to know her more in time, but the particular subject she wanted to discuss wasn't something one could easily approach after less than a week of knowing each other.

Looking into the anthropologist's eyes, she felt a knot twist in her stomach, wishing she could call Booth for support. How do you tell someone you know they're being abused? With the little knowledge she'd gathered about Brennan, Jenna felt she would be defensive, possibly even aggressive, and that was something she wasn't sure she could handle.

Taking a deep breath, she blinked rapidly a few times, debating how to bring the subject up smoothly. "Yesterday, after I finished taking the photographs, I was going to ask you if you wanted to see how they looked." She dropped her gaze to the ground, finishing quietly, "I heard some noises coming from your dressing room, so I went to see what was going on and I saw you and your boyfriend fighting."

"Oh," Brennan murmured, her face not giving anything away as she too avoided eye contact. One question was running inside her head over and over again: how much had she heard? "Well, couples fight all the time, right? I mean, you must fight with Booth a lot," she ventured, hoping Jenna would simply leave it at that.

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to pry or anything, but what I saw looked way more serious than a simple couple's fight," Jenna said softly, preparing herself for her next move. "Temperance," she said with all the courage she could muster, watching the other woman lift her eyes to meet hers, "I saw the bruises."

Brennan took a sharp breath in, her eyes widening as the implications of what Jenna saw hit her hard. Her mind raced, trying desperately to find a suitable reply to assuage the woman's sudden concern. Finding nothing, she fell back on the response that had become her standard over the years: cold denial. "I'm sorry, Jenna, but I don't believe that's something I want to discuss with you."

She folded her arms over her chest in a typically defensive attitude. It was never easy dealing with the stubborn anthropologist, no matter who tried, and Jenna was now gaining first-hand knowledge of that fact. "I know, and I really don't mean to intrude, but I can't just pretend I didn't see it." There was a determination in her eyes as she spoke, something that strangely mirrored Brennan's own passionate self. "I can help you if you want; we can go to the police, or you could talk to Seeley and he could protect you?"

"No," Brennan answered a little too quickly. Realizing her small slip, she explained, "This is not what you think - Matt never hit me. I fell down some stairs on vacation and the bruises are just slow to heal. There's nothing more to it."

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Jenna asked, fully aware that this was a stock excuse.

"Yes," she reiterated firmly. "Listen, don't tell Booth about this. He'll just over-react and start making assumptions," Brennan said, forcing a smile as she tried to brush it off as nothing.

Jenna nodded, knowing that was a promise she would break the moment her boyfriend arrived back in town. "Okay then," the photographer said, also managing a false smile as she stood up. "Well, I'll be going then. Still have to drop some things off at the magazine before Seeley gets home."

"Thanks again for the photographs," Temperance said, leaving the brown envelope on the couch as she showed her to the door.

"No problem," Jenna said amicably as she stepped into the corridor. Before leaving, Jenna turned back to Brennan as she spoke quietly, "You know, it's okay to ask for help, Temperance. No one will think any less of you."

Brennan was briefly taken aback by her boldness, but recovered from her surprise and schooled her features into a calm expression. "I told you I'm fine. There's no need for you to bring this up again, okay?"

Jenna nodded, giving her a small smile before turning and walking down the hall. The anthropologist watched as she disappeared around the corner before breathing a sigh of relief and leaning her forehead against the door jamb.

"She saw the marks?" came a voice from behind her, startling her into a stiff, straight position. Matt was standing there, a wet towel in his hands as his dark hair dripped water on his bare chest.

"You startled me," she said sharply, turning her back to him as she moved to shut the door. Before her hands reached the handle, the door was slammed shut and she found his hands resting on each side of her body, trapping her against the wood. Refusing to turn to face him, she watched his tanned knuckles against the dark wood, the heat of his body almost suffocating her.

"Did she see the marks?" he asked again in a low voice. She nodded and could almost hear his jaw clenching behind her. "So she came here to make sure I wasn't beating you up?" Again, a nod followed, and his muscles tensed.

"I told you what would happen if anyone started asking questions," he said, and she turned abruptly to face him.

"She won't do anything about it. I told her I fell down on vacation," Brennan said in a harsh tone, stepping out of his 'embrace' to create some distance between them.

"She saw your bruises. Next thing we know, that Booth guy will be banging on your door, demanding answers, and I just can't let that happen." Brennan raised her gaze, their eyes locking together as each knew what would happen next and a feeling of helplessness took over her body as she was faced with her own vulnerability. And just like before, in that dirty Cuban bathroom, Brennan wished for Booth.

* * *

Jenna unlocked the door quietly, pushing it open before dropping the set of keys inside a bowl neatly placed on a small table in the hallway. Taking her time to get comfortable, she placed her bag on the table and her coat on the hook, moving into the lounge.

Night had settled a little while ago, and she was happy about the prospect of her boyfriend's return. Not only did she want to see him, but she also wanted to share her worries with him. Having seen what an abusive boyfriend could do to a woman from all the times she cradled her best friend from college as the woman sobbed on the bathroom floor after another 'fall' down the stairs, Jenna was determined to help.

The photographer was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize she wasn't alone until a voice startled her.

"Jen?"

She turned towards her couch in surprise, but a smile soon crossed her face as she chuckled. "God, Seeley, you scared me," she said as she walked to him, placing a kiss on his lips as she sat beside him. "What are you doing here? I thought your plane was only getting in later tonight."

Booth lifted his head to look at her, the faint shadow under his eyes a tell-tale of his latest sleepless nights, and the bright smile gracing her lips nearly broke him. He knew from the moment he had laid eyes on Brennan again that someone would get hurt, but never had he imagine this would be so hard. She shouldn't have to suffer from his mistakes.

"Jen, we need to talk," he said, taking one of her hands in his as he urged her to understand the seriousness of the situation. Her smile disappeared immediately upon hearing the tone on his voice, and he sighed deeply before he began. "I had some time to think about us when I was in New York," he started, running a hand through his already messy hair as he breathed deeply.

"What about us?" she asked softly, squeezing his hand softly as she urged him to go on. She had a feeling she knew exactly where this was going.

"Jen, I'm not gonna lie to you. I care about you too much to do that," he said sincerely, turning to face her fully as she stared at him with scared eyes. "I can't do this anymore."

Guilt swept over him as she gasped, pulling her hand from his and pushing herself to the farther side of the couch. She'd instinctively known this was coming from the moment she saw his face, but ignorance was, after all, bliss and so she'd tried to brush it off as simple tiredness. But he had said it, had pronounced the words she'd been dreading since she saw the look on his face as he gazed at Temperance.

"You're breaking up with me?" she asked, watching him with blurred eyes as the tears started to gather. He tried to reach out, but she recoiled, the instinct to protect herself stronger than her need for comfort.

"I can't lie to you like this. I can't pretend not to feel something I know I do." He reached out again, and this time she let him touch her cheek, wiping the first tear that fell. She really didn't deserve this, but there was no other way. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, pulling her body closer to his.

"You know what's the worst thing?" she murmured, lifting her eyes to meet his. "The worst thing is that I know you're being honest. I know you're sorry and for that, I can't even hate you."

He kissed her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw with one finger as he tried to wipe all her tears. Never in the course of their relationship had he made her cry, but the salty tears running down her face were more than he could stand.

"It's her, isn't it?" she asked, brushing his hand away from her face as she tried to focus on something other than the burning ache in her chest. "It's Temperance." The second was more of a statement, her certainty coming from his silence.

"I can't help how I feel about her," he admitted quietly. "It just caught me by surprised and I didn't even know I felt that way until she was out of my life. Trust me, I've tried to let her go, I did, but I just…"

"Can't," she completed and he nodded. She took a deep breath, her eyes dropping to their intertwined hands as she fiddled with the hem of her blouse. "I understand. I mean, I won't lie and say that I'm completely okay with it, but I guess I never really had you. Not all of you," she said, wiping away the last tear she was willing to shed that night.

He was almost proud of the way she held herself together, her tears now drying as she tried to gain some sort of perspective of the whole thing. That was the Jenna he knew, always trying to see a bright side in everything.

"You were always too good for me, you know? I never deserved you," he said, stroking her hand absently with his thumb.

"It was never a question of deserving," she admitted softly. "It was about wanting, belonging... You never belonged to me and I should have known," she said, sadness lacing her words as she leaned back against the couch. "A woman knows when a man is thinking about another woman, and you are no exception. I just didn't want to believe it."

"I'm sorry," he echoed his words from before, trying to offer the little comfort he could. He knew she would be okay in time.

"I know you are," she said, a bittersweet smile on her lips as she gazed at him. A question sprang to mind and she voiced her doubt. "If she hadn't come back, would you have proposed?"

"What?" he asked, startled, "How did you-"

"The ring fell out of your pocked when I was grabbing your coat," she explained, watching the emotions flicker in his eyes, "Would you?" she asked again.

"I don't know," he said honestly. If he hadn't had Brennan back, he could have possibly made the mistake of believing that what he had with Jenna could be as strong as what he shared with his partner. Having her back made everything clearer, but it also made it that much harder.

"I don't know what to do," he confessed helplessly. "I'm so sorry, Jen. Whatever I can do to make this easier for you, just tell me and I'll do it…"

Swallowing hard, Jenna met his eyes, her voice firm as she said, "There's something I need to tell you, but you have to promise me you'll control yourself and listen until I'm done."

"You can tell me anything, Jen," he said in a comforting manner, soft brown eyes offering reassurance.

"It's not about me. This is about Temperance," she said, and watched panic flash across his face.

"What about her? Did something happen? Is she okay?" He fired question after question, ready to jump to his feet to run to the rescue. Typical Booth, always prepared to be the knight to Brennan's damsel.

"Something did happen, but not recently. From what I gather, it happened before she came back, while she was in Cuba."

"Just tell me, Jen," he urged, the suspense making him nervous.

The photographer took a deep breath, meeting his eyes as she said bluntly, "I think her boyfriend is abusing her."

"What?!" he asked incredulously. He wanted to laugh, to say it was impossible for any man on Earth to lay a hand on Brennan unless she welcomed the touch. But something at the back of his mind kept him from replying straight away as he processed the new information. "Why makes you say that? Because the Bones I know would never put up with someone treating her like that."

"I saw the bruises, Seeley. She had these pinkish marks and some fading bruises on her back."

This time there was no urge to laugh, only the primitive need to hit something. Or better yet, someone. Someone who answered to the name of Matt. "Are you sure?" he asked, his tone low and dangerous as his fist clenched tightly.

She nodded confidently. "I asked her about it and she said she fell down when she was in Cuba, but there's something wrong there, Seeley. By the way I saw her and Matt fighting yesterday, I'm willing to bet he's behind it."

She fell silent as Booth nodded slowly, his gaze darkening and his jaw tightening in anger. He met her eyes, his tone determined but with an edge of apology as he spoke, "I need to go, Jen…"

Jenna just nodded, managing a weak smile as she instructed, "Go."

He said nothing else, instead pushing himself roughly to his feet, his stride hard and fast as he stormed out of the apartment.

How dare he do that to Brennan? How dare he treat her like that? His mind ran a thousand miles a second as he entered his SUV, knuckles white against the wheel. He briefly debated using the siren, but knowingly chose not to, preferring the element of surprise.

Backing quickly out of the driveway, he conjured up all the different ways in which he could make the man suffer for anything he might have done to his partner. He certainly was going to enjoy kicking the bastard out of her life for good and making sure he never went near _his_ partner again.

He was finally ready to let out all the feelings he had carried around since that first kiss, and knew that Brennan had better be prepared for the hurricane that was about to turn her life upside down.

* * *

**Okay, now I'm sure we'll have some confrontation in the next chapter! What will Booth do? And what hapenned in Cuba? Stick around, people, 'cause we're getting there! I hope you liked my ending for Jenna, and I hope you enjoyed everything!**

**Big kisses to you all, and drop me a line if you liked this chapter! **


	10. Testosterone Spill Vol 2

**A/N: Hey, so this is the new chapter, and it's what many of you have been waiting for: tt's time for some ass-kicking! Hope you all enjoy! Also, I want to thank everyone reviewing, reading, alerting and favoring this fic! You are all wonderful!**

**A big shout to bertie for revising this chapter and for being always so patient with me! You're an angel!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.**

* * *

The accelerator was never let up as Booth sped down the last street to Brennan's apartment building, the light from the streetlamps flickering off the hood of the SUV. Fleeting wisps of different plans floated through his mind, swiftly being chased away by all-consuming anger.

Abruptly parking his car outside the apartment, he didn't bother to lock it as he ran towards the entrance and up the staircase, taking two steps at a time and breathing heavily in his haste to get to his partner.

It didn't take long before he found himself at the end of her hallway. Quickly, his sniper-trained senses picked up on the sound of raised voices and he realized with horror that the shouts were coming from her apartment.

Managing to resist his initial urge to burst into the apartment with his gun drawn, he searched his pockets for his keys. Finding her space key, he silently unlocked the door, pushing it open just enough for him to slide through.

The living room was empty, but it wasn't up to Brennan's usual standards of cleanliness. Instead, papers and cushions were scattered on the floor along with some artifacts which had tumbled off her shelves. One of her coats was draped over the couch, along with her purse, as if she had just entered the apartment and thrown her things there.

The shouting escalated as he approached the hall, gun out of the holster and firm in his hands as he prepared himself for whatever he might find. Brennan's voice was high-pitched, getting louder and louder as Matt shouted back with an equal amount of venom, but the agent still couldn't understand what they were arguing about.

The door to her bedroom was open, and as he edged closer the first thing he saw were clothes scattered on the floor, including a dress, jeans and some socks, all of which belonged to Brennan. Pushing the door further open with his foot, what he saw destroyed any restraint he had left.

Two pairs of alarmed eyes stared back at him as Booth's gaze fell on the hands that were gripping one of Brennan's arms tightly. Matt was standing in front of her, eyes blazing and face twisted with anger.

The agent's blood boiled at the sight and Matt had only milliseconds to realize what was happening before a fist collided with his jaw.

"Booth!" Brennan screamed as she watched Matt tumble to the floor, his head nearly connecting with the hard wood of her bed. As Matt rubbed his jaw with a groan of pain, Brennan was ready to step between the two when the other man suddenly got up and lunged towards Booth.

The two men collided with her wardrobe; Booth's back hitting the wood with a loud thud and a grunt escaping his lips. His knee came up, slamming into Matt's stomach, and the other man bent double, clutching his gut.

"Booth, stop!" she yelled again but he couldn't hear or see anything beyond his anger.

Preparing his next move, Booth made a move to grab Matt's arms but instead received a right hook right above his left brow. Stumbling back through the hallway, he heard Brennan's insistent shouts for them to stop but, consumed by their rage, neither listened to her pleas.

She ran after them into the lounge just in time to see Booth deliver another punch to Matt's face. Blood dripped from his lips as his head snapped to the side with the force, and a few drops fell down onto her carpet. Still neither stopped.

It was only when Booth's fist met his face for the second time that the younger man seemed defeated. Falling to the floor, Matt spat at his feet, glaring up at him angrily. But before he could enter in for round two, Brennan got between them.

"What the hell is going on?" she shouted, looking from Booth to Matt and then back to her partner.

"He's the one that came at me," Matt growled, getting up from his position on the floor to stand beside Brennan.

Seeing the man so close to his partner, Booth felt his anger returning and took a step forward. "You son of a bitch."

Booth was ready to launch himself at Matt again, but Brennan stepped in front of him, her delicate hand on his chest stopping him from walking any further. "Matt, you need to get out now," she said, not taking her gaze off her partner as she watched his eyes glinting dangerously. Sensing Matt's reluctance, she turned to him and spoke with all the authority she could muster, "Get out now, Matt. Go wait in the car."

He didn't leave immediately, eyes focused on Booth and one hand rubbing his painfully throbbing jaw. But seeing that Brennan wasn't likely to move from between the alpha males, he stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door behind him.

As the other man disappeared from sight, Booth let out a deep breath, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. However, when Brennan turned to him, eyes blazing with a fury he was all too familiar with, he suddenly felt defensive again.

"What the hell was that? You can't just barge into my apartment hitting people!" she yelled, hands on her hips and chin high in defiance as she dared him to speak.

"He was hurting you!" he yelled back, rotating his shoulders to assess his injuries and finding with relief that there were no major problems.

Brennan rolled her eyes, glaring at him as she pulled her silky robe tighter around her body protectively and answered icily, "No, he wasn't. Look, Booth, just go back to your girlfriend and let me handle my own problems."

"I can't," he said sharply, startling her with the ferocity of his voice. "I can't just pretend like nothing's wrong. Jenna saw bruises on you and I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened," she said firmly, eyes blazing but voice cold. "Like I told _Jenna_, I don't need your help."

"She was trying to help!" he replied angrily, hands gesturing wildly as he raised his voice. "You're hurt, and she wanted to do the right thing."

"How is interfering in my life the right thing? She should have stayed out of this," Brennan spat, frustrated by Jenna's indiscretion. Even though she knew the photographer had done it with a good heart, it didn't mean she had the right to mess with her life. No one had that right, not even Booth.

"Maybe she shouldn't have told me, but you should have. I'm your partner - I can't believe you didn't trust me with this," he said, his words strengthened by the hurt behind them.

Even if she did notice, Brennan didn't let it show as she replied with indignation, "This isn't about trust! It's personal, so why can't you just let it go?"

"Because you're hurt! You need help," he retorted, almost pleadingly.

"Help? How is beating up Matt helping me? You and Jenna are both way out of line." She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions as she spoke bitterly, "You should go back to her; you obviously make a great pair." She didn't mean to sound jealous, or even resentful, but the thought of Booth and his apparently perfect girlfriend getting together to 'save' her just made her blood boil.

The words flew out of Booth's mouth before he could stop them. "We broke up, alright? I broke up with her tonight because I couldn't get you out of my damn head!" That stunned Brennan into silence for a moment, but Booth kept going, fuelled by anger and humiliation, "Don't know why I bothered now." Sarcasm crept in as he said cruelly, "You and Matt are obviously so good together."

Brennan's eyes widened and she took a step closer to him, voice raised, "Matt and I are none of your business! I don't need you here, Booth; I can take care of myself."

"Right," he said mockingly, taking a step toward her in return and meeting her gaze. "You take great care of yourself. That's why you've got bruises from where that asshole you call a boyfriend hit you."

Her teeth clenched, furious blue eyes staring into dark brown ones as she snapped, "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Sure looked like it from where I was standing." Breathing hard, he glanced down at the arm that Matt had grabbed earlier. "And I guess he's not the one that caused the bruises either?"

"He didn't hit me!" she shouted again, before lowering her voice and saying with all the authority she could muster, "This is none of your business."

He stepped forward again, his face inches from hers as her hot breath mingled with his. "Damn right it's my business! You're my partner and if you think I'm going to stand by and let you get hurt-"

She let out a dry laugh. "What? You'll do what, Booth? Storm in here and beat people up? I can look after myself and I don't need-"

This time he was the one to cut her off. "Yeah, you do, Bones!" His eyes locked with hers, his gaze filled with fierce determination as he tried to make her understand. "You need me."

She shook her head from side to side, trying to deny it more for herself than for him as she spoke, her voice quiet but with a steely tone, "I don't need you."

Breathing hard, Booth lowered his voice, saying with confident sincerity, "We both know you do. I'm not the only one who's been a mess these last few months. You need me." He took a deep breath, eyes falling close for just a moment before they re-focused on hers again. "You need me, Bones. Just as much as I need you."

She gasped quietly, eyes softening as she gazed at him. Inch by inch, he leaned closer to her, anticipation making her tingle everywhere until his lips finally touched hers. His hands gripped her waist, bringing her body closer to his as his tongue requested entrance into her mouth with a new found hunger, finding no resistance as she leaned into him, more than enjoying the familiar taste of him again.

But in the back of her mind she knew it was wrong, and the face of the kind photographer flashed before her closed eyelids. With a great effort, she pulled away from him, hands gently pushing at his chest.

"Booth, we can't do this now. You just broke up with Jenna," she murmured breathlessly, slightly ashamed to know that she'd come between the photographer and Booth when Jenna had treated her with nothing but kindness.

A look of pained regret crossed his face as he gently cupped her cheek lovingly. "It was always you, and I should have known from the start," he said, searching her eyes. "We ended things between us because we both knew it could never work."

Brennan dropped her eyes to the floor, guiltily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Before she could finish, she was cut off as his lips covered hers with a gentle pressure, hands moving back to her hips to pull her close again.

"I have no regrets, Bones. When you weren't here, I-" He took a breath. "I hate what I had to do to Jenna, but it's best for us all. I need you," he murmured against her parted lips before resuming the kiss.

How he'd missed the taste of her, the feel of her against his body as his hands mapped every curve of her body. She was intoxicating, inebriating, and addictive. And he was drunk in the essence of her. He didn't know how he had survived so many days and nights away, apart.

Temperance felt her problems melt away, every single painful memory of the six months she'd spent away from him momentarily fading into oblivion as his tongue caressed hers, heat and desire pooling between them and they fought to get closer, passion slowly taking over their bodies.

She gripped his T-shirt as he pulled her impossibly close, every inch of her body against his as she felt her knees weaken. Stars danced behind her eyelids as she tasted him, smelt his cologne and felt the warm skin under the fabric of his shirt.

But then his hands traveled higher, and before she could say anything, his palm pressed against a sensitive bruise, and she could do nothing to stop the gasp of pain that escaped her lips.

Booth broke away immediately, hands gripping her arms lightly as he searched her face. "What's the matter?" Realization dawned and his eyes widened apologetically. "I hurt you? God, I'm sorry; I didn't know-"

She smiled, placing a finger over his lips to stop the rambling. "You didn't hurt me. If anything, I feel better than I have in over six months," she said, her bright smile reassuring him as he leaned to capture her lips once again. But he felt the tension still in her body, and took care not to hurt her again.

Shifting back a little, he cupped her face with both hands, placing a light kiss on her forehead as she smiled with closed eyes, openly enjoying the feel of his lips against her now feverish skin.

"Temperance," he whispered softly, her name falling from his lips as if in prayer, and she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Show me."

It wasn't an order, but a request, one she could have easily turned down. But as he watched her, nothing but affection reflecting back at her in his brown eyes, she couldn't have denied him anything.

Silently she turned her back to him, untying the knot of her robe as she slowly slid the red silk off her shoulders.

His mouth fell open in shock as he took in the fading bruises on her upper back and the pinkish marks closer to her sides. Gentle fingers traced a round spot in the middle of the mark, and her muscles clenched involuntarily at the contact.

"Did it hurt?" he asked quietly, his breath hot against her skin.

"Yes," she answered, equally quietly, and he was touched by her honesty.

"Does it still hurt?" he inquired, brushing a spot between her neck and her shoulder blade.

"Yes." She echoed her previous answer, and he closed his eyes against the assault of images of how exactly she came to receive those wounds. Moving in, he kissed a tender spot in the back of her neck, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine as she tilted her head to the side.

"Talk to me," he said, an almost imperceptible plea in the tone of his voice that only Brennan could ever catch. "Tell me what happened to you."

Eyes falling shut, Temperance breathed deeply, settling back against him as he wrapped his arms gently round her waist, being cautious not to hurt her. She pulled the robe up over her shoulders, covering her bare chest before turning in his arms, avoiding his gaze as she nodded in agreement.

Booth nodded back, taking her hand in his and squeezing it in reassurance, letting her know that he was there for her.

Sighing, Brennan looked down at their hands, somehow knowing that after tonight things would change forever, making their lives irrevocably intertwined.

* * *

**Are you still with me? Good! So now please take a deep breath and don't hate me for ending the chapter here! Just look on the bright side: the next chapter will definitely answer all your questions! Hope you all enjoyed this!**

**Big kisses!**


	11. Remembranza

**A/N: Hello, guys! So this is the chapter that will answer all the questions you have! It took me a lot of work to get it done, and it's slightly longer than my usual chapters, but the end result was quite satisfying (I hope you all agree!!) **

**Thank you bertie for being the best beta ever and for giving me the best ideas for everything! Also, a big thank you to goldpiece for helping me with this chapter while I was fighting sleep at 3 am!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

"I don't even know where to start," Brennan said with a small, nervous smile, her eyes focused on Booth while he waited patiently for her to begin.

"It's okay. Take your time; I'm right here," he murmured, lifting a hand to trace the curve of her jaw and smiling as she unconsciously leaned into his touch, eyes falling shut.

"You're always here," she whispered, turning to place a light kiss on his palm as he cupped her cheek. The ghost of a genuine smile graced her features and she opened her eyes to see him watching her intently.

"I try to be." True to his word, he had tried to be there for her, but sometimes he wasn't, and it was in those times that bad things tended to happen to her. He inwardly vouched to never leave her side again.

Comforted by his touch, Brennan brought her attention back to his request. He deserved to know the truth, and she would give him that. "When I left for vacation six months ago, that was my initial intention, Booth. Vacationing. I wasn't out looking for trouble," she began softly.

"But trouble found you?" he asked, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear so he could see her eyes as she spoke.

She paused, brow furrowed in thought as she recalled all the last six months in her mind. "I spent the first month in Cuba engaged in my usual vacation activities. I visited monuments, went diving, explored local caves... It was all normal."

"And after the first month?" he prompted.

Her expression turned somber as she continued, "I intended on going down to Jamaica in my second month, but then… my plans changed." She bit her bottom lip nervously, lowering her eyes to her lap.

"What happened?" he asked gently, giving her space to answer.

Brennan sighed, smoothing down her robe as she tried to maintain an even voice, "While I was visiting a town called La Esperanza, some of the local people found a deep grave where over twenty bodies had been buried."

The tone of her voice was so soft, carrying such pain and sadness that it broke his heart. "I'm sorry," he said, taking one of her hands in his and squeezing it in support. She squeezed back, letting the warmth of his presence comfort her, if only for a little while.

"The bodies belonged to women and children, all killed with a single shot to the back of the neck. The authorities requested my help, and I agreed, so they provided me with equipment, a small team and protection for the time it would take for me to finish my work there. All they wanted me to do was identify cause of death and help give them their identities. It should have been easy, but…"

"But what?"

"It never really is," she finished sadly, instinctively gripping his hand harder.

He wanted to hold her then, wanted to stroke her hair and whisper words of comfort, but he knew she needed to open up about this to someone. "What happened, Bones?" he encouraged, and she lifted her eyes to his, the blue almost crystalline and the tears on her lashes like tiny diamonds glistening.

"The children, Booth… they were murdered with no mercy, in cold blood," she said, her bottom lip quivering as she tried her best to gather her emotions, feeling slightly frail as she recalled the pain she'd endured and the lonely days she spent in the Cuban heat. "They probably knew something they shouldn't, so they were disposed of, as if their lives didn't matter. And no one cared."

"You cared," he said, and she stared at him as if trying to understand exactly how it was that he could know her so well.

Breathing deeply, she gripped the last remains of control she had over herself and continued with her recollection, "I spent about three months excavating the bodies and identifying them. Everything was kept secret until we had a definite idea of who was responsible for that monstrosity, so the site was securely guarded. Every child and woman in that grave was the sister, wife or child of one of the local families, but they never said anything, probably intimidated into silence."

"Who killed them?"

She shook her head. "We didn't know. None of the bodies gave any clues as to who would have done it. Well, none of the bodies in that grave…" Temperance took a deep breath, her tone somber now as she remembered the cold shift in the winds. "Just as my work was almost done, we found two set of remains that did not match the others."

"What do you mean?"

"The remains were those of two Caucasian males in their mid-thirties. I had a very small team helping me with the IDs, including a sketch artist. She wasn't anywhere near as good as Angela, but she managed to give us a rough composite and from there, I managed to pull their records." Brennan stopped, facing him fully as she stated, "Booth, they were CIA agents."

"What?" he asked, shocked.

She managed a weak smile. "That was my initial reaction as well. I called an old CIA contact I had and questioned him on what should be my next move. He told me to stay on guard while he sent an agent down to help, and to keep quiet about their identities," she said, pausing before continuing, knowing that the next piece of information wouldn't go down well. "That's when I met Matt."

He frowned. "What does he have to do with this?"

"He's CIA, Booth."

Booth's eyes widened at the news and he pushed himself to his feet in an attempt to control his reaction. "You're telling me your boyfriend is actually a CIA agent?" His tone was heavy with incredulity and he made no attempt to hide his underlying anger.

"Well, you're half right. Matt is with the CIA, but we never had any type of relationship that went beyond a professional nature," she admitted as he paced in front of her.

"So you lied to me? You lied to all your friends?" Booth asked with his hands on his hips, staring down at his partner as she remained seated on the couch. His voice had risen, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I did what I had to do, Booth. If you could just give me a chance to explain, I'll tell you why. Can I continue?" she inquired, and he nodded, trying to keep his anger at bay as he sat beside her again, motioning for her to go on. "As I said, Matt is the CIA agent they sent to help me."

"The remains I found belonged to Scott Meyers and Daniel Pausch. They were working undercover inside a local drug ring when they disappeared one year before. The CIA never got a lead, even after months of searching, so the case went cold."

"Matt's orders were to keep me safe while I gathered all the evidence I could find on their remains and in the surroundings. Matt really didn't like working with me at the start – he kept saying that I was too stubborn and that I was telling him how to do his job – but we managed to find some sort of balance."

"He didn't like working with a squint?" Booth asked, partially amused that he'd once had that in common with the other man.

"Yes, but he learned to respect me eventually. In the time we worked together, I like to believe that he actually reached a point where he liked me, sort of." Booth laughed lightly, amused at his partner's ability to turn deep annoyance into light affection.

"I was in the process of gathering evidence when I started heard rumors around the dig site about the drug ring. Matt investigated as best he could, and he told me not to do anything, but I just wanted to help-"

A worried look flashed across Booth's face. "Please tell me you didn't-"

She interrupted him firmly, "I only asked a few questions. I just wanted to find out what happened to the agents…" She looked down, worrying her lip between her teeth. "But I guess I went too far."

* * *

_The humidity was already stifling__ as Brennan stepped outside her hotel, lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the bright light. Tapping her foot impatiently, she checked her watch for the third time, letting out an annoyed sigh. Matt was late and she never liked waiting. _

_The streets were nearly empty this early in the morning. The ground wasn't paved, so Brennan made good use of her boots and Capri pants. Pulling her hair back, she fanned herself briefly to create a light breeze before tying her hair back in a tight bun. _

_Turning her back to the hotel, she watched as a young mother pulled her child by the hand while crossing the street, also balancing a small baby on her hip. An old car passed through her line of vision and she turned her head to follow it as the driver made a turn, dust rising from the ground disturbed by the wheels._

_Glancing back at the hotel, she checked her watch one more time before deciding to leave without Matt. She had a lot of work to do, and she wasn't willing to wait any longer. Decided, she walked down the street and turned left, her feet disturbing rocks on the path as she observed the empty surroundings. _

_B__ehind her a car engine revved, but she didn't really register its presence until it reached her side. The driver made a sharp turn and parked the car, blocking her path. She abruptly stopped walking, taking a step back as two men emerged from the car. _

_As they stalked towards her, she was ready to run when she heard a second car pull up behind her and saw two more men approach her. Cornered, she prepared herself to fight, refusing to give in that easily while at the same time looking frantically for Matt. _

_One of the men reached forward to grab her, but she gripped his arm and twisted it hard behind his back, throwing him to the ground as a second man captured her in his arms from behind, pinning her arms by her sides. Well-trained, she stomped down on his foot and elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to groan in pain as he let go. _

_The third man grabbed one of her arms and twisted it, forcing a tiny whimper from her lips before she clamped her lips shut. Her leg flew out in an arch, catching him in the chin, and she followed up with a hard kick to his stomach before wrenching free and turning to the fourth man. _

_But as she moved, the last assailant crouched low and skillfully swept her feet out from under her. Her back hit the dirty ground with force and she gasped in unexpected pain. Panicked, she attempted to sit up, only to receive a hard blow to the back of the head from a gun barrel, sending her reeling into unconsciousness. _

* * *

_There were voices pullin__g her from her induced slumber. She felt something brush her face, but just wanted to ignore it and rest. She felt a sting on her cheek, stronger as her eyes fluttered open softly. A man stood in front of her, patting her cheek with a lot more force than necessary as he smirked at her._

_He mumbled something to another man standing behind him as the other nodded and left. "Finalmente," he said as a deep Spanish accent filled every syllable. Before she could make sense of the situation, her body was jerked roughly upward from where she lay on the floor, pulling her to a forced standing position by her wrists as she struggling weakly. _

_She blinked hard and saw the unknown man reaching out, caressing her face, but she jerked away from his touch, looking up to see her wrists bound over her head, hanging over a hook on the ceiling. _

_The man__ chuckled at her response. "Determinada," he said, gripping her jaw tightly as he moved closer, his breath on her lips, "Haz como quieras." He let go of her face forcefully, gesturing for two more men to enter the room. "Diego, ella es toda tuya."_

"_I see you're finally awake," one of newcomers, who Brennan guessed was Diego, said with a heavy accent. He stood in front of her, looking her up and down before lifting his eyes back to her face. "You're probably wondering why you're here, right, sweetheart? Well, I need you to tell me everything you know about that dig site."_

"_What?" she mumbled, disoriented but taking in what she could. He was a tall man, with strong physique, tanned skin, and with dark hair falling light his forehead as he leaned towards her, dark eyes staring at her as if measuring their prey. _

"_I asked you what you know about the dig site. I saw you and your boyfriend there, so don't try to play me, sweetheart," he threatened, circling her slowly as she breathed in and out in quick succession. _

"_I don't know anything; I'm here on vacation," she said, her voice conveying all the innocence she could convey, but Diego didn't seem to believe her._

"_Now, I know that's not true because I know you were asking around," he said, gripping her hair and tilting her head up to face him. "Where can I find this Dr. Brennan?" he inquired coldly, and she faltered slightly._

"_I don't know who that is," she answered quickly, but whimpered softly when his grip tightened. _

"_He's the guy in charge of the site, and probably the guy you've been spreading your skinny little legs for. Where is he?" he pressed, his face closer to hers as she fought to understand what was going on. _

"_I don't know," she repeated, purposefully letting her fear show a little. "Please, I don't know anything about a Dr. Brennan."_

"_Why don't you just tell me what you do know then?" he asked with mocking sympathy, running a finger down her cheek._

_She shuddered, __but blinked innocently, desperately trying to maintain her act of an unknowing, terrified girlfriend. "Please, I don't know anything. Just let me go…"_

_Temperance held her breath as he studied her skeptically, but her heart sank as he laughed loudly before grabbing her by the throat and saying cruelly, "Nice try, sweetheart, but you better stop the act if you want to get out of this in one piece." His gaze hardened further. "Now, tell me what the good Doctor dug up and I just might grant you a quick and painless death."_

_She shivered in her restraints, now really facing the possibility that she wouldn't make it out of this alive. A thought occurred to her; she hoped Booth wouldn't blame himself for not being with her. However, her façade quickly went back up and she spoke firmly, "I don't know anything."_

_Diego's eyes glinted dangerously as he __let go of her hair and nodded at one of his men. _

_Brennan leaned forward, looking from side to side as she tried to understand what was happening next, but before she could say anything, a bucket of freezing water was thrown over her head, leaving her drenched. She gasped for air as cold water filled her eyes, nose and mouth, and coughed a few times, throat burning as Diego chuckled beside her._

"_Bastard," she murmured under her breath. _

_Smirking, he took something out of his pocket and waved it in front of her, smiling as she gasped at the sight of the taser. Brennan's entire body responded to the simple visual threat and goosebumps rose over her bare flesh._

"_I imagine you're smart enough to know what will happen next," he said, taking deliberately slow steps around her body, the sound of his footsteps pounding in her ears as she remained still in anticipation. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come._

_It didn't take long. _

_Without warning, she felt a jolt of electricity run through her body, starting from her back and spreading over every nerve ending. Her muscles convulsed, her shoulders trembling as every single part of her body burned with the force of the shock. She had no control over herself as he shocked her again. _

_She tried to fight it, tried to shut her mouth with all the force she could muster, but Brennan was helpless against the second current that assaulted her body._

_She screamed in despair. _

"_Are you ready to talk?" he asked over her labored and raspy breathing. _

_Brennan__ used all the strength she had left on her body to lift her head and to look right into his eyes as she spoke. "I don't know anythi-" _

_Her words were cut off by a pained scream as the electricity was applied again._

* * *

_The next day __seemed to take longer than the usual twenty-four hours to arrive. Brennan's body ached from the spasms caused by the taser gun, her back burned as if on fire, and she was desperate to feel a breeze or some hint of fresh air._

_The__ door in front of her suddenly opened, and Diego stepped inside, this time flanked by two different men, one of whom was carrying another bucket of water. She flinched involuntarily but Diego saw it and approached her with a cocky smile. "Are you going to make this easier for us today? Or will I have to persuade you?" _

_She shifted her gaze between the water and him, seemingly making a choice in an attempt to buy time. Assessing her situation, she watched as the man that carried the water moved to stand by her right side, noticing that he was favoring his left leg. By her other side stood the other man, and in front of her, Diego was waiting for an answer._

"_What is it going to be?" he asked, and her shoulders slumped in resignation. _

_She mumbled something which Diego strained to hear. _

"_What was that?" he __pressed, and she murmured again. _

_He leaned closer to hear, and just as his face was almost touching hers, she __slammed her head forward, sending him reeling back with a yell of "Bastarda!"_

_Spurred to action, t__he man on her right lunged forward, but before he could grab her, she swung her leg up, kicking his injured leg viciously. The man roared in pain, clutching his leg as he fell on the floor in pain, and she followed with a blow to the stomach which dropped him to his hands and knees._

_Planting her feet on his back, she stood as best she could and unhooked her bound hands from the hook __in time to receive a hard punch to her kidney from the other henchman. With a cry of pain, she dropped to her knees, coughing violently, but he did not let up, and brought the butt of his gun down on her shoulders hard enough to leave a bruise but too low to render her unconscious. _

_She seized what little opportunity she had, and reached out and grabbed his boot, tugging him slightly off balance. A sickening crack split the room as she twisted his vulnerable ankle, and he too fell to the ground, screaming in pain. _

_Wasting no time, Brennan stumbled to the door, but strong hands gripped her arms, pinning them behind her, and she heard Diego's voice close to her ear. "You're not leaving, sweetheart. We're going to get the information we want, and then you'll die in this place." _

_She struggled to get free, to kick or elbow him but his grip on her forearms was so tight it __was bruising her. Forcing herself to think for a second, she let her arms go limp long enough to close her hand around the serrated knife that hung from Diego's waistband. Unsheathing it, she feigned a slip forward and as his grip loosened, she wrenched her arm free, slicing his fleshy cheek with one desperate swipe._

"_Bastarda!" he screamed __again with more force than last time and clasped his hand tight over the wound as blood ran freely down his face. He tripped and fell backwards, scrambling on the dirty ground against the pain searing through his face. Brennan didn't care; she couldn't care about any of her actions at the moment as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her._

_As she reached the outside of the house, all she saw was trees, surrounding her. Making a logical decision, she ran alongside the trail left by the cars, staying out of sight and hoping to find rescue before any of the other men could catch up with her or before her tired and bruised body failed her._

_H__er muscles burned with fatigue and exhaustion, but she let her mind focus on the image of the man she had left at home, of the single kiss they had shared before she shattered his hopes. If she survived this, Brennan swore she'd feel his lips and hands on her again, and that nothing else would ever take her away from him. _

* * *

"Jesus, Bones," Booth murmured, torn between awe and horror at his partner's escape. Anyone that looked at the slim, delicate woman would never know how dangerous she could be when necessary. He would have taken her place any day, any time, but it was strangely comforting to know that if something happened to him, she would be able to take care of herself. It was refreshing to have her independent self back.

Unaware of his amazement, she continued matter-of-factly, although her hands still trembled slightly at the memories, "I ran for about an hour before I reached a town. I called Matt and he managed to trace the call to find me."

"He really cares about you, doesn't he?" Booth asked, understanding some of the man's actions in the last few days and recognizing some similarities with his own. Countless times, Booth had reprimanded, yelled and argued with Brennan when she'd disregarded his orders, putting her life on the line.

"I believe he does," she said softly.

* * *

_The hotel room__ door slammed shut behind her and she dropped the blanket covering her shoulders, the ache in her back making her flinch as the fabric slid across her skin._

"_What the hell were you thinking, Temperance?" Matt asked behind her, his voice raised in anger. "You could have gotten yourself killed out there. Why did you have to start asking questions around the site?"_

"_I didn't know this would happen," she shot back. "I just wanted more information so we could finally arrest someone for all those deaths." She defended herself fiercely, hugging her arms close to her body as if shielding her body from the fire in his eyes. He was furious, with good reason, but Brennan didn't see it like that._

"_And in the process, you almost became another one of their victims. Is that what you want?" he spat, eyes blazing as he stared at her. He didn't want to fight, but he'd been worried sick about her, practically turning the city upside down looking for her. He had left her alone, and she was taken. Despite his frustrated anger, he knew it was entirely his fault, and no one could convince him otherwise; she could have died because of his mistake, and his inability to do his job._

"_I want justice, Matt. I want justice for all those families that lost a loved one in that pit!" she shouted, and he shook his head._

"_Yeah, well since it almost got you killed, maybe you should leave the investigation work to me in future!" he yelled back, running a hand through his hair to calm himself down as he contemplated their next move. "You should go into the Witness Protection Program," he said, bracing himself for the reaction._

"_No," she__ answered immediately, without any hesitation or doubt in her voice, "I'm not hiding. They don't even know who I am; I'm not abandoning my life just because of them." _

_She crossed her arms over chest, and it was clear to Matt that she wasn't backing down from this.__ She couldn't even fathom the idea of putting her friends thought the same pain she endured when her parents disappeared without a word. _

"_Fine," he snapped irritably, taking his cell phone from his pocket as he walked to the door. "I'm going to talk to my superiors to ask what we should do next. You," he ordered, pointing a finger at her, "stay here."_

* * *

"Is that why he's here?" Booth inquired with curiosity. "Did the CIA tell him to stay with you?"

She nodded. "Matt's superiors decided that I was to handle the transportation and official identification of the remains of the agents here in the Jeffersonian while Matt offered any necessary protection."

"But their remains didn't get here, did they?" he queried, having no recollection of these remains being delivered in the Medico-Legal Lab. He was sure he would have heard something about it from one of the squints.

"They did. Remember when I left the restaurant early because I had something to do?" At his nod, she continued, "Well, Matt had called to let me know they were ready to deliver the remains to the Jeffersonian, so I had to leave in order to get them to a safe location."

"And what would that be?"

"Limbo," she said simply, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Is that why you said you needed some time away from field work?" he asked, placing all the pieces of the puzzle together and marveling at how they now seemed to fit perfectly.

"Yes. I had to get the remains officially identified with every resource I had available. I needed to gather trace evidence and to have the soil analyzed; I even suggested that Zach should continue to occupy his time with his own projects to make sure he wasn't anywhere near the remains."

"But why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you," he said, hurt and sadness lacing his words as he met her gaze.

"It was confidential, Booth," she admitted ruefully. "It still is. Also, I was afraid you'd take it upon yourself to help and would put yourself in danger out of some misguided need to protect me," she commented teasingly, and he smiled.

"Alpha-male, right?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning closer until his arms enveloped her carefully, still making sure he wasn't touching any of her bruises and burns. "But I have to admit, I did miss your overbearing concern a little."

He chuckled, and she felt the vibrations in his chest. "I missed you too, Bones," he said sincerely, kissing the top of her head before asking suddenly, "What were you fighting about with Matt when I came in?"

She tensed slightly in his arms. "He still wanted me to go into protective custody until it was all over. After Jenna saw the bruises, Matt was afraid that someone else would find out, and then another and another. So again, he told me to hide."

"But you're not doing that?" he asked hopefully, knowing that Temperance Brennan wasn't the type of woman to bow to pressure. She shook her head as he predicted she would but he knew they needed a change of plans.

Standing up, he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet, pushing her towards her bedroom. "Go put some clothes on, quickly." She looked at him questioningly, but he just gestured towards the room with a pleading expression and she reluctantly acquiesced.

While he waited for Brennan to change, Booth paced distractedly in her apartment, his mind running through their options. Looking out the window, he saw Matt's car parked on the other side of the street, and the agent inside, probably bored out of his mind by now.

"Where are we going?" Brennan called from behind him and he turned to be greeted by the sight of her in jeans and warm top.

"We're going to Cullen," he informed her, and she frowned.

"The man already hates me, Booth, and you want to go talk to him now? This late?"

"If he already hates you, then you don't really have anything to worry about, now do you?" he countered with as much confidence as he could muster, and she seemed to consider his argument for a few moments before nodding.

"You're right, I don't," she agreed, moving to take her coat from the couch.

However as she moved to take a step forward, she froze as the sound of a loud groan from the street below echoed in the night. Eyes wide, her worried gaze locked with Booth's and they both ran out onto the balcony in time to see a man slipping his gun and silencer into his coat pocket as he walked away from Matt's car and headed into Brennan's building followed by two others.

* * *

**Okay, so now I REALLY want to know what you think! Like it, love it, hate it? This plot was carefully planned from the start, and I tried to leave some bread crumbs on the way, but if you have any doubts or questions about it, please feel free to ask! Also, the Limbo thing was bertie's idea, and I laughed a lot when it was used on this season's last episode! She thought of it first!**

**The phrases in Spanish:**

**Finalmente - Finally  
Determinada - Determined  
Haz como quieras - As you wish  
Ella es toda tuya - She's all yours  
Bastarda - Bastard (simply because I just love saying bastarda!)**

**Okay, so please note that I'm brazilian and I speak Portuguese, not Spanish. Those phrases and words were taken from an online dictionary because even though Spanish is much closer to my mother language than English, I speak zero of it. If they are wrong, and someone can correct me, please do!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please do comment! I'm really nervous about it! Kisses, guys, and I'll be back real fast so you can find out who are the mysterious guys entering the building!**


	12. Crash and Burn

**A/N: Hey guys, so here I am again with a brand new chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Thanks to bertie for her beta work and for taking the time to swap ideas! Also, thanks to goldpiece for putting up with me and for sharing ideas!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

"This can't be happening! How did they find me?" Brennan covered her mouth, taking a step back from the balcony in horrified disbelief. "Is Matt alright? We have to help him!"

Her body was already angling towards the door, and Booth knew she would run right into those men in her worry for Matt, but he couldn't let her do that. Worried, he grabbed her wrist, bringing her attention to him as she took shallow breaths. "Listen to me; we have to get out now, Bones. Is there any other way out?"

She shook her head helplessly, looking from side to side as if searching for a magical doorway to lead them outside. Suddenly, Booth had a thought. "Is there anyone in the apartment next door?" he asked quickly, a plan forming in his mind.

"No," she answered, pulling him back towards the balcony. They looked to the side and saw the neighbor's balcony two feet away from hers. "My neighbor moved out when she heard a serial killer had broken in. They still haven't rented it."

"Come on, we're jumping," Booth prompted, offering his hand to Brennan to signal her to go first.

Climbing gingerly over the metal rail, she gripped her partner's wrist firmly as she stretched her leg out toward the opposite railing. Mindful of the steep drop below, she didn't look down, instead shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she stepped across and pulled herself over. Booth followed close behind her, landing on the balcony as she tried to get inside.

Finding the glass doors locked, they applied their combined strength to the handle and pulled at it repeatedly. The lock gave at the same time that a loud noise sounded from her own apartment as the door was broken down. Running, Booth and Brennan crossed the empty living room and peered through the spy-hole of the neighboring apartment, seeing the stairs close-by.

Opening the door a little and checking the hall for any sign of life, they made for the stairs when the coast was clear, running as quickly as their feet could carry them. Reaching the ground floor, Booth cracked the door open and saw one man stationed next to the elevator, ready to catch them in an attempt to escape.

Preparing himself, Booth threw the door open and grabbed the man from behind before he had any chance to react. A couple of quick punches left the other on the floor, and they dashed towards the exit, Booth's gun resting securely in his hands.

Brennan started toward Matt's vehicle, where the agent sat slumped in the seat, unconscious at the very least, but Booth dragged her away. "Call an ambulance for him. If we don't leave now, they'll get you too," he said in a deadly serious tone. Understanding, she nodded and turned as they both ran towards the waiting SUV. Booth turned the engine on and set off as fast as possible for the Hoover building, leaving the sirens off so as not to alert the intruders to their absence.

Still worried about the CIA agent, Brennan fumbled in her pockets for her cell phone, dialing for an ambulance as Booth sped through the nearly deserted streets of Washington. "Hello, I need an ambulance sent to Elmsworth Street, by the corner to Beech Lane. A man's been shot; he's in a black SUV outside an apartment complex. No, I don't know his condition, just please hurry."

She snapped the phone shut and turned to Booth just in time to see his grim expression. "They're following us," he said simply, and she turned to see the car in question getting closer. Despite Booth's best efforts, the car gained ground quickly and was soon close behind them, shunting firmly into the back of the SUV and making him momentarily lose control of the vehicle.

The second impact was harder, and Booth swerved to the right to avoid a car coming from the other lane. "Hold on," he yelled quickly as he gripped the wheel tight when the car once again collided with them at an angle. The force from the hit sent the vehicle careening sideways, and this time Booth couldn't regain control of the wheel as the SUV veered widely to the right.

"Booth, look out!" Brennan shouted, panicked, but it was too late to stop the front of the SUV slammed hard into a parked car. Body propelled forward, Booth wasn't stopped by his unworn seatbelt and his head collided with the wheel with a sickening crack. The last thing he heard was Brennan's desperate cry of his name before everything went black.

Brennan's head felt heavy when she first tried to lift it, dizzy with disorientation. Time seemed to stand still as she turned to Booth, his unmoving form sending a stab of cold terror through her as panic began to rise. "Booth?" she called, scared, reaching out to shake his arm slightly. He didn't stir.

"Come on, Booth," she called again, wincing as she tried to lean towards him. The seatbelt had left a bruise over her chest with the force of the impact, but she ignored it as she turned her body to face his. There was a bruise forming on his cheek and a cut on his forehead right next to the one he'd gained from his fight with Matt, causing a new stream of blood to run down the side of his face.

"Booth, come on. Wake up," she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes as she couldn't help but think the worst. Reaching to his neck, she found his pulse and sighed in relief when she found the steady beat under her fingertips. Running her hands up his face, she cupped his cheeks as she called his name again with a soft but firm voice even though he remained oblivious to her cries, "Please, wake up."

"Dr. Brennan."

She heard the familiar voice calling her name and turned, facing the end barrel of a gun. "I was hoping we would meet again. Step out of the car," the voice commanded. She didn't move, still staring up at the gun pointed at her forehead. "Don't even try or I'll put a bullet in his brain just like I did with your boyfriend."

She flinched, Matt's face coming to her mind as she felt rage boiling up. She wanted to launch herself at him and make sure he never had the chance to hurt another soul, but as usual, her rational side won out and she nodded, slowly reaching for the door handle as she pushed the door open.

"Diego," she acknowledged, her eyes briefly tracing the angry red mark she had made with the knife across his cheek. To her satisfaction, it didn't seem to be healing well and would probably leave a scar, which in turn would be a blow for a vain man like himself.

"You're smart, little girl, I'll give you that. It never crossed my mind that I had actually captured the doctor herself instead of some stupid whore," he spat, taking a step closer to her as the gun was pressed against the hollow between her breasts. It could have been so easy for him to end it all if he didn't need the remains.

"What do you want?" she asked, knowing as soon as the words left her lips that it was a mistake. Diego smirked, pressing the gun harder against her sternum as he leaned forward slightly, still remaining a safe distance from her face after the last time.

"I want those remains you dug up, all the reports you have on the case and any trace evidence you might have found. I know you're probably keeping them stashed away in your lab," he said, and a wider grin spread over his lips as he added cruelly, "Also, I want you dead."

She had seen it coming, the wish for revenge, so it didn't take her by surprise when he grabbed her arm and started to pull her roughly towards the car where his men were standing. His hand slipped inside her pocket, pulling out her cell phone and throwing it to the ground underneath the crashed SUV.

Before they reached the other car, she pulled away from his grip. "I'm not going anywhere until you call my friend an ambulance," she said with all the authority she could muster, but Diego was unfazed by it.

Stepping forward to invade her space, his breath tickled her cheeks as he spoke in a dangerously low voice, "You're really not in the position to make demands, Doc. If you don't get in that car, I'll finish what that crash didn't. I'll kill him in a heartbeat." To demonstrate, he nodded to one of his men, who circled the car and purposefully held his gun to the head of the unconscious Booth, finger stroking the trigger mockingly.

Breathing heavily, Brennan's gaze flicked back to Diego. She knew him to be true to his word as she still felt the prickling sensation on her back from where he had followed through on his threats just the week before.

Knowing he would kill Booth if she didn't obey, Brennan nodded, fire blazing in her eyes as she dodged his grip and walked straight to the waiting car. She would buy time, and hopefully in the Jeffersonian, where security was tight, she could find a way to fight them on her own terms.

Stealing one last glance at Booth, she hoped with all her heart that an ambulance was on its way and that he would be safe. She knew there was the possibility that she wouldn't survive this ordeal, but just knowing he was there, out of their reach, made it somehow acceptable. She could never live with herself if they caused him pain.

Sighing, she leaned over and climbed into the passenger seat beside one of Diego's man, feeling the barrel of the gun at her back as she did. They started the car and began to drive, and it took all of her strength not to look back at the wreckage where her partner lay unconscious, unaware of the dire situation.

"How did you find me?" she asked, staring straight ahead and avoiding Diego's gaze.

"Well, that's an interesting story, you see, after you ran, we decided that you weren't worth our trouble anymore. My men concentrated their attention back on the man we knew as Dr. Brennan. Since we didn't know what he looked like, I did some research." He paused, reaching with one hand to grab her jaw, turning her towards him. "Imagine my surprise when I saw this pretty little face staring back at me from a preview for an American magazine."

So Matt had been right when he'd yelled at her after the photoshoot. He had been afraid the usual publicity article could be damaging to their case and he had been right. Not that it would matter anyway as the material available on the internet about the famous Dr. Brennan would have exposed her true identity eventually.

They drove quickly until they reached the Jeffersonian and Brennan felt her stomach drop as she saw the familiar building coming into view. She silently hoped no one was still there who would pose a threat to Diego, since that could end badly.

Pulling up at the glass entrance doors, Diego stepped out of the car and pulled Brennan out behind him, keeping a tight grip on her arm. "Now, we'll go in, you'll give us everything I asked for and no one else will gets hurt, understand?" he asked as they walked side by side towards the entrance, the barrel of the gun pressing against her side but concealed by the closeness of their bodies.

They approached the security station and one of the guards smiled at Brennan, his protruded belly visibly over the waistline of his pants. "Dr. Brennan, I didn't expect to see you here at this hour. Working late?" he asked cheerfully, scratching the stubble on his chin.

"Just for a little while today, Jeffrey," she said, watching nervously as the guard eyed the man standing beside her and the other two behind them. "These are some friends of mine," Brennan quickly offered, smiling anxiously as she signed her name on the employee log.

Jeffrey nodded, continuing to scratch his beard as the doctor walked away from the station, followed closely by the three men.

"Quick thinking, sweetheart," Diego said, laughter carrying under his words as he pushed her down the dimly lit halls, and Brennan knew the lack of visibility could work to her advantage if she could find a way to distract her captors. As they slipped through the glass doors of the Medico-Legal Lab, an idea came to her.

"The remains are there," she said calmly, pointing to the platform where two skeletons lay on the stainless steel tables. From the notes she'd seen earlier that day, Brennan could identify them as Caucasian adolescent females, and she bit back a smirk at the thought that she could probably give them chimpanzee bones and they would never know the difference.

When she reached the first step up to the platform, her heart rate increased to a pounding in her chest as she considered what her next move would be. At the second step, she tensed up her muscles, ready for a fight.

When Diego crossed that step before her, the alarm suddenly blared through the lab, the lights blinked on the metal posts to signal the intrusion.

The men looked around in surprise, trying to locate the source of the noise as the alarm continued to ring, and Brennan seized this opportunity, punching Diego on the nose with the heel of her hand and sending him to the floor as he dropped his weapon. Quickly, she managed to kick the gun away from him before he could reach for it a second time.

The other two men ran towards her upon hearing their boss screaming at the doctor. She tried to run, but one of them grabbed her ankle and sent her flying to the ground on her stomach. She groaned with the pain, but ignored it as she kicked out and hit him solidly in the face.

The other man landed a punch that sent her head back with force, but it wasn't nearly strong enough to stop her. Brennan stepped towards him swiftly, crouching low as she swept his feet from under him, leaving him flat on his back and gasping for air.

Diego watched as she fought his men, seeing her carefully planned movements executed with perfection. A glint caught his eyes and he turned, crawling quickly towards his own gun which she'd sent sliding a few feet away.

As Brennan turned to see the full damage she had done, Diego was struggling to get to his feet and she sprinted towards him in panic, aware of the gun he was reaching for and desperate to stop him getting it. He looked up for just a second at the sound of her heels quickly approaching, but a kick to his stomach flipped him on the floor as he clutched his gut.

"Bitch," he spat as she stood before him, careful not to turn her back while she picked up the discarded gun. Just as she was about to edge back to the nearest office to call for help, an unexpected noise from behind her startled her.

"Dr. Brennan?" Jeffrey called uncertainly, gun drawn in front of him as his eyes swept over the scene in the lab. "I called the police when the alarm sounded. What's going on here?"

Seeing Brennan loose her focus when the old guard entered the room, Diego seized the opportunity. Launching himself forward, he wrenched the weapon from her hands, took aim and fired. On the other side, Jeffrey fell to his knees, his face pale and his hands trying to stop the blood flowing from his shoulder.

"No!" she yelled, moving to run towards the fallen man, but the gun pointed to her head was enough to hold her in place. Grabbing her upper arm, Diego threw her back, sending her falling backwards onto the small flight of steps, and she couldn't help the whimper that left her lips at the impact with the metal stairs.

Diego wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve, glancing at the stain it made on the fabric and smirking, before raising his hand up towards Brennan as she pushed herself further back into the stairs, ignoring the burning sensation on her skin. "Last chance, Dr Brennan. Tell us where the remains are, or we kill you." His mind seemed to have been made up already as at her silence his finger settled on the trigger. "Any last words, Dr. Brennan?" he taunted cruelly.

She refused to answer. Chuckling, he unlocked the safety of the gun as his men got to their feet. Brennan breathed in and out quickly, her heartbeat pounding in her ears as she closed her eyes, not wanting her murderer's face to be the last thing she saw before dying.

Brennan's body remained painfully still as she waited for an end she felt was to come. Her eyelids squeezed together as she waited for the bullet that would take her life, but before her closed eyes, she saw only Booth's face and his comforting smile. On her skin, she felt his warm touch and the feel of his whispers against her neck. And so for the second time that day, time stood still.

Brennan wasn't sure but either a century or a millisecond could have passed as she sat on the steps. However, before she felt the hot pain of a bullet tearing through flesh, the lab was filled with welcome shouts as agents yelled, "FBI, drop your weapons!"

She opened her eyes in disbelief and the lights nearly blinded her as they all went on, brightening the scene before her.

Agents swarmed into the lab, filling her line of vision as they barked orders at Diego and his men. The tall leader dropped his weapon to the ground and kicked it toward the officer, a pure look of hatred as he stared down at Brennan while the agent behind him cuffed his hands tightly together.

Finally able to breathe, she smiled with genuine joy at the fact that it was over. Her muscles ached and burned with fatigue and her head throbbed from the crash but she couldn't care. All she knew was that she was safe.

A young agent offered her a hand and she took it, pulling herself to standing and wincing as her body protested the sudden movement. Nothing a hot shower and Advil couldn't fix as far as she was concerned. Seeing how hopeless her situation had looked just a minute ago, she stood still, amazed and relieved that she had escaped mostly unharmed.

EMTs jogged quickly over to where Jeffrey was, prompting her into action. As she approached, the wounded man turned to look at her but winced when one of the medics pressed clean gauze on his injury. "Is he going to be okay?" she inquired, worry and guilt lacing her words.

"The bullet doesn't appear to have hit any major arteries," one of the men said briskly as they strapped Jeffrey to a gurney. "We'll know more when we get him to hospital, but it looks promising."

Thankful that at least one of the injured men had survived, she gave him a small smile as they wheeled him away, her mind moving quickly to Booth and Matt. Her eyes were drawn to the small pool of blood that had formed on the floor, and she turned her back to it, swallowing down the terror that threatened to rise again at the thought of those unaccounted for.

As she turned, Brennan was greeted by the sight of Booth's superior, Cullen, walking towards her and she bit back a wince as the older man spoke sarcastically, "Why am I not surprised to find you're involved in this?" Despite the seemingly harshness of his words, relief and concerned tinged his voice too, making his tone more friendly than accusatory.

Too preoccupied to deal with his boss, Brennan asked, panicked, "Sir, where are Booth and Matt?"

Cullen's attention was briefly distracted as Diego and his associates were dragged past in handcuffs, cursing loudly in Spanish. He gave clear instructions to a passing agent, ignoring Brennan's question for the moment, "Walker, make sure they're transported separately. I don't want them concocting a joint story for interrogation. And take that one to-"

Unable to wait any longer, Brennan stepped in front of him, blocking his view and interrupting the conversation. "Deputy Director, I need to know where my partner is," she said firmly, trying to prevent her voice from cracking as she thought about what could have happened to her partner while she was there, fighting Diego.

"CIA operative Matthew Weiss has been taken to the George Washington University Hospital where the CIA have refused to disclose his condition. Agent Booth is being checked out by the EMTs outside as he insisted on coming here to find you." His expression grew concerned as his eyes fell on her injuries. "I suggest you do the same."

The words barely left his mouth before Brennan took off toward the exit, concern for her partner overriding any other emotion as her heart beat fast inside her chest.

As she passed through security, she felt a pang of guilt at the thought of the unfortunate security guard caught in the middle of her mess. Shaking her head, she tried to brush those thoughts away, her priority now being to find her partner and gain some much-needed reassurance of his safety.

* * *

**Hope you like this! I'm not sure how the whole explanation chapter went since the reviews went down a little bit, but I do hope you're all enjoying the conclusion to this fic! Please show me some love, guys! I love to know what you think!**

**Kisses, and I'll see you soon!**


	13. A New Beginning

**A/N: Okay, guys, this is the last chapter for Torn, which is now finally complete! I enjoyed writing this fic, and I hope you all enjoyed reading! Thank you so much for those who read, reviewed, alerted and favored this!**

**Thank you so much to bertie for her wonderful beta work throughout this fic! You never ceaze to amaze me!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Bones.**

* * *

When she passed through the doors, the red and blue lights filled her vision as the sirens from the police cars and ambulances assaulted her ears. Searching from side to side, Brennan began to panic when she couldn't spot the familiar face of her partner anywhere, instead seeing one large blur of blue FBI and EMT uniforms as their wearers hurried across her path.

"Where is he?" she asked Cullen as he walked up beside her, an edge to her voice as she spoke.

"Right over there, Dr. Brennan. Nearly took a shot of sedatives to keep him from charging in there himself," Cullen said, lips quirking up at the memory.

Brennan didn't even bother to fake a smile as she looked in the direction he was pointing, and sure enough there he was, mumbling something to a paramedic who was wiping the remaining dried blood from the agent's forehead.

She bit back a sob at the sight of him, sitting hunched and pale on the back step of the ambulance, and quickened her pace to get to him, anxious to wrap her arms around him if only to reassure herself that he was there and that she wasn't dreaming.

"Booth," she called as she approached, and he only just turned in time to see a glimpse of her face before her body impacted with his, pulling him into a desperate and grateful embrace.

"Bones," he murmured in return, breathing into her hair as his arms encircled her small frame, gently stroking her back so as not to hurt her while her fingers gripped his t-shirt tightly.

"I was so worried about you," she whispered, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. She refused to break down here, in front of Booth's boss and coworkers.

He chuckled against her shoulder, burying his face in her soft locks as she held on to him. "If anything, I'm the one that should have been worried, Bones. I woke up in the car and you weren't there," he said, pulling away to look her in the face. Smiling, he stroke her cheek with his thumbs, tempted to kiss away the slight pout on her lips, and only stopped from doing it so by his boss' presence. "I saw their car pulling away when I woke up. I knew I couldn't reach you on my own, so I called Cullen and asked for backup to be sent here."

"I know," she quickly reassured him, knowing that if it had been possible, he would have stopped them from taking her.

Cullen approached and they reluctantly broke away from each other, mindful of the need for propriety even when the fear and anxiety of the last few days meant they wanted nothing more than to stay in the other's arms. Swallowing her emotions down, Brennan turned to face the Deputy Director, hand still entwined with Booth's.

The older agent folded his arms across his chest as he looked at the pair of them, gaze falling quickly to their joined hands and a sigh escaping his lips soon after. "Tell me this isn't what it looks like."

Booth intentionally lowered his eyes to avoid his boss' stare and Brennan looked at him, asking in confusion, "What? There are no regulations at the Jeffersonian which prohibit relationships between colleagues."

Cullen did not look impressed. "That may be so, but it doesn't make it any easier to explain to the CIA why one of their agents was shot outside your apartment and you, his charge, were then allegedly commandeered by a Federal Agent who allowed you to be captured by the foreign nationals we now have in custody. They'll be raising issues of deliberate sabotage, incompetence, and jeopardizing the safety of a government agent, and that's only if the guy survives."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Booth said contritely, knowing that Cullen was reprimanding him more for the sake of protocol than for actual wrong-doings.

His apology seemed to assuage the other agent slightly, and his tone calmed as he instructed, "I'll need both your statements as soon as possible so that I can contact the CIA to try to resolve this issue together." The idea of a peaceful inter-agency cooperation was desired, but unrealistic. "Let me call an officer to take you to the Bureau."

Cullen began to signal to a young agent standing by, but Booth interrupted skillfully, "I'm sorry, sir, but is there any way that can wait until tomorrow? Dr Brennan and I have been through a lot tonight and as you said, we really should be checked over by a doctor," Booth finished innocently, glancing over at the doctor he had in mind as she leaned against the door of the ambulance, a paramedic still hovering over her while she insisted that she was fine.

Taking a brief look at the couple, tired, injured and worn from exhaustion, Cullen decided that maybe they could wait until the next day to deal with it. "I expect you both in my office tomorrow," he said, but after glancing at his watch, he corrected himself, "Better yet, I expect you today since the sun will be up in a few hours. See if we can straighten out this mess the damn CIA got us into without causing an international crisis."

Booth smiled at Cullen's annoyance, knowing that this dealt with the three things he found most irritating: the squints at the Jeffersonian, the CIA, and most of all, Dr Temperance Brennan.

After being reassured by the paramedic that Brennan's injuries wouldn't require a trip to the hospital, but rather a lot of rest and some painkillers, they left accompanied by a young agent who valiantly offered to drive the tired pair home.

As Brennan's apartment had been closed off as a crime scene in order to be swept for additional evidence, it was easily decided that she would stay with Booth for the night, and their night was soon made a lot easier by a phone call from a supervising CIA agent, who had informed Brennan that Matt was still in recovery, but that he looked likely to survive the gunshot wound.

Brennan leaned on Booth's shoulder as the agent drove them to his apartment. The comfort she got from his touch was impossible to describe but she snuffled into the warmth of his chest, letting the comfort of his presence wash over her like a calming wave. His fingers came up to stroke her hair, occasionally brushing her cheek softly as she breathed contentedly against his chest.

Soon the officer pulled into Booth's driveway, dropping the partners at the house and departing quickly in order to leave the grateful couple in peace. Guiding Brennan with a hand on her back, Booth unlocked the door and ushered her inside, both immediately soothed by the comforting surroundings and familiar scent.

Closing the door behind him, Booth watched as she took in every detail of his living room, avoiding the toys scattered on the floor as she wandered inside. However he knew what she craved, and needed the same himself.

"Bones," he called softly and she turned to face him. "Do you want to clean up?"

She nodded mutely, and after shrugging off his coat and dropping it heavily on the couch, Booth guided her towards his bedroom. "I'll get you some clothes," he murmured absently, words merely filling up the empty space between breaths, but busied himself with the task.

When he turned back to her, a black large shirt cradled in his hand, he watched quietly as she unbuttoned her blouse and dropped it on the bed, both their movements slow and almost dazed still.

"I'll give you some space," he offered instinctively, turning to walk back to the living room, but her hand on his arm stopped him.

"I don't want space, Booth," she said, her fingers tightening nervously on his arm as she spoke, "I want you."

"Bones," he whispered, taking the hand that was gripping his arm and lacing her fingers in his. "We can't do this tonight, not like this."

She smiled, some of the haze fading at his misunderstanding. "I didn't mean sex." Taking a step forwards, she placed her free hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat under her palm. "I just want to be close to you."

Booth swallowed hard, surprised at the admission but feeling an equal tug in his own chest at the same time. He nodded and followed her lead, pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it to the floor alongside hers, knowing that tonight he wouldn't deny her anything.

Pants, shoes and underwear followed their shirts to the floor, and Brennan wrapped her hand softly in Booth's, leading him behind her as she stepped into his bathroom. He opened his mouth to voice a warning, not knowing if he could control himself around her in this situation, but she silenced him with a gentle kiss, the fleeting touch of her lips on his letting him know that this would be about intimacy in a different form.

Temperance pulled back, reaching out to turn on the shower before stepping carefully inside the tub and into the already warm water. The spray washed over her body and she sighed, leaning her head back to let her hair fall heavily over her shoulders, dark curls against porcelain skin.

Booth stood beside the ceramic tub, letting his eyes roam over her body openly as she tried to wash away the events of the last few months. If only it could be that easy.

He took in every curve of her body, from the swell of her breasts to the gentle flare of her hips where water began to trickle down her thighs. Her skin was pale and almost glowing in the dim light as the glistening water marked every inch of smooth flesh. She was beautiful, so much more than his imagination could ever grasp, and he drank in the sight of her gladly.

But as he stepped under the flow of water behind her, his urge to map her skin with his hands was tamed when he saw the faded bruises coloring her back and the newly forming mark across her chest where she had been held back by the seatbelt, acting as a reminder of pain for the whole time it would take to heal.

It wasn't until his eyes returned to her face that he realized something else wasn't right. Her brow was furrowed slightly as her eyes were closed, a hand reaching over to the side of the wall for support. He moved nearer, taking her hand in his as he pulled her body closer, the contact of skin on skin lighting a fire within him.

He felt the light shakes of her shoulders and the muffled sound of her sobs mixed with the water cascading onto the tile ground beneath them, and his heart broke when he felt her slowly sink to her knees in the tub, her body giving out with exhaustion and emotion. Without stopping to think, he followed her down, keeping her trembling body cradled in his arms as they rested together against the cool side of the tub.

Her breath came out in short gasps against the now wet skin of his chest, filling him with a strange sense of comfort when a memory from earlier that night assailed him, outside of the Jeffersonian, waiting for her to emerge while the thought of never seeing her take a breath again left him gripped with fear.

Drained by everything, she almost collapsed against him, no energy left for her to even cry. Movements stilling, Booth felt her breathing coming out slower as she managed to control herself and despite being that glad she let something out, he was fully aware there would be more where that came from. Wrapping his arms tighter around her shoulders, he planted a soft kiss on her damp hair. He could deal with it as it came.

Glinting blue eyes suddenly met concerned brown ones. "I want to lie down," she said quietly, her muscles throbbing painfully at being pressed against the side of the tub.

Booth simply nodded, offering her a hand as they both pulled themselves up to their feet, and wrapped her in a towel which swamped her slim frame before reaching back to turn off the shower.

They dried and dressed in silence, the feeling of disorientation and uncertainty unknowingly consuming them both again as they missed the simple physical contact of earlier. As though acting on instinct, Booth slipped his arm round her shoulders, gently shepherding her from the bathroom and into the bedroom, pulling the sheet back for her to lay under it.

Almost in a trance, she slid inside the comfortable security of the bed and he followed, covering their bodies with the sheets and comforter and shutting them out from the rest of the world. Craving contact, they unconsciously intertwined, her head resting on his arm and bodies cradled in each other as their eyes met, providing warmth not supplied by the blankets.

Leaning forward, Brennan carefully touched her lips to his, the kiss soft and tender as they enjoyed the unique taste of their combined essences. That was exactly what they were together: unique.

She pulled away from him slowly, her hand now reaching for his cheek as she cupped the side of his face, brushing a damp lock of hair off his forehead while keeping his eyes focused on her as she whispered quietly, her voice so soft that he would have missed the words if not for their close proximity, "I love you."

A surprised smile spread over his lips before he stole the air from her lungs with a soul-searching kiss, feeling the desperate need to be closer to her in whatever way he could.

"I love you," he echoed in a whisper of his own, tracing her lips, eyes and cheeks with his fingers as he memorized every line of her face.

As she looked into his eyes, Brennan could see the 'forever' that she had once never believed in reflecting back at her, now knowing it to have been true from the first moment she'd felt his lips against hers. She wanted that now, to feel love in a way she never knew existed.

And as their lips met again, carrying comfort and love, they realized the bond between them was finally mended in an unbreakable way.

* * *

**So... I hope you all enjoyed my little ending, I tried to make it as sweet as possible, so let me know how that turned out! Any questions you might have about the plot, please let me know, I'll be happy to answer! **

**I might disappear for a little while to concentrate on my studies, but I already have a fluffy fic on the way, so I'll see you all then, hopefully! **

**Kisses, guys! Love you all!**


End file.
